


Of Sentinels and the Guide who loved them (too much)

by Herbeloved82



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Sentinels and Guides Are Known, Civil War Team Iron Man, Fix-It of Sorts, M/M, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Sentinel/Guide Bonding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-30
Updated: 2018-02-09
Packaged: 2018-08-27 23:29:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 47,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8421841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Herbeloved82/pseuds/Herbeloved82
Summary: In a world where Sentinels and Guides are known and their bond is unbreakable Tony, a Guide, is ready to do everything in his power to take home the Avengers, no matter how much that will hurt.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Duedicoppe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Duedicoppe/gifts).



> All mistakes are mine. For everything else many, many, many thanks to my Amazing Beta RogueRoulette

“We'll demand Helmut Zemo face the death penalty.”

 

Tony Stark was exhausted. It was late into either the third or fourth day of working on the accords. Tony didn’t remember which. It could be a factor in why he hadn’t really understood a word of what came out of Ross’ mouth. He was trying to make the accords into something sustainable, something people could agree on, and damn it he didn’t need someone’s blood all over them. It was bad enough what this shit storm had done. Bad enough he lost his family, to quote Roger’s. The Avengers were scattered, in pieces, and half the world feared them. Now, to add insult to injury, the government wanted to make a bigger mess and spill more blood. Perfect, just perfect. It was exactly what he needed right now.

 

“And what basis are you planning to petition that on exactly?”

 

“His attack on the UN killed hundreds. People will demand justice.”

 

“They want justice, not an easy way out. He’s not going to be judged on American soil. Even if he was, no jury would ever convict. He’s a Sentinel who lost his Guide in the most horrifying way. At best he’ll get sent to prison for the rest of his life, but chances are they’ll send him to a psych ward. You’ll never get what you want.”

 

How Everret Ross could think Zemo would ever face the death penalty was beyond Tony. The man was a Sentinel himself, he should know better. He knew what happened in Sokovia. Zemo had lost everything. His country, his family, and in the end, his mind.

 

“If you try this, I’ll make sure he gets judged by the Sentinel’s Council. They won’t like what you have planned one bit. If you aren’t careful, they might even force you to be evaluated.” 

 

Tony was too tired to play nice. The dark circles around his usually expressive eyes were deep, deep enough to resemble the bruises Captain America and his side kick had left behind in Siberia. Tony has lost weight and his skin had paled considerably, but none of it took away from the strength and determination in his gaze. Tony knew what he did had been right and he was going to fight for it. It was the only way, Steve and the stick up his patriotic ass be damned.

 

“You’re an unbonded Sentinel.” Tony continued. “They won’t be happy with that. They’ll think you can’t understand what happens when a bond is broken so traumatically, and they’d be right. They’ll want proof that you were as well a functioning Sentinel as you like to think. Don’t force my hand Everett. I already have one Ross on my shit list, you don’t want to make it two.”

 

Tony was tired of playing by the rules. He had tried. He’d tried hard, harder than he knew possible, and in the end he had still lost everything. He was done playing everyone else’s game and he no longer cared if people agreed with him or not.

 

A disdainful laugh filled the air, grating on Tony’s ears and interrupting his introspection. He wondered, just for a moment, how someone with such hyper sensitive hearing could make such a horrid noise.

 

“You know Stark, you shouldn’t threaten your betters. You’re an unbonded Guide, or did you forget? Why should the council listen to anything you have to say on the matter?”

 

The pen he had been using to edit the nonsense in front of him shattered in his hand, splattering black ink across the page like blood from a putrid wound.

 

“You really don't know anything about the Councils, Everett. Don't force my hand, you won't like the result.”

 

It was that moment that T’Challa came back from his break, and Tony had never been happier to see the young king. For once he didn’t care that this was the same man giving shelter to the Avengers and hiding Barnes. He was just relieved to see the man who had done so much work to help Tony make the accords into working documents.

 

Rogers should have been the one at Tony’s side, bleeding over these documents. Rogers should have been the one exhausted, scouring over words so complicated an experienced lawyer wouldn’t know what to make of them. It should have been Rogers, Tony’s so called friend and team mate. It should have been Rogers and instead it was a practical stranger. It showed how far the Avengers had fallen that Tony trusted a man he’d known for only a few days more than his own team. Tony had trusted Steve, believed him to be a friend. It was clear he was wrong, and no matter how much Tony had tried, it hadn’t been enough. Roger’ hadn’t even looked back. He walked away without a second glance because it wasn’t possible for Tony to be right for once. After Ultron, Tony had never gained the Captain’s trust back. He just hadn’t realized it until it was too late.

 

“Is everything okay here? Mr. Ross?”

 

Everett Ross had the good grace to look ashamed. The man had developed a genuine admiration for the Wakandian king, and when faced with him, Ross didn’t have much to say.

 

“I just came to tell Mr. Stark what will happen soon. I hope you'll be able to make him see that it's in everyone's best interest, your Majesty.”

 

He bowed to the monarch before he flew from the room without another word.

 

“I must say Mr. Stark, you certainly know how to make friends.”

 

“Please it's Tony, and making friends is the least of my worries now. I tried, I failed and I really don't feel like trying again. It's a waste of time.”

 

T’Challa looked shocked and hurt by the words, as if he had genuinely cared for Tony Stark. Too bad Tony had learned his lesson. Howard would have been so proud.

 

“I hope, Tony, that in time you'll see you're wrong. You have people who deeply care for you. You have more friends that you think you do, and I hope you'll come to see how honored I'd be to be called your friend.”

 

That was rich. Tony was more than used to dealing with snarking business men and people who wore a thousand masks. God, he had lived under the same roof as Natasha Romanov. By now, he knew just about everything there was to know about deception. Tony preferred his world in black and white and T’Challa looking torn between his own honor and the will to be Tony’s friend simply didn’t add up. Tony had lived to long in the gray and he wanted to see the true faces of people. T’Challa was helping him. He believed in the accords and their necessity. He was also shielding Rogers and Barnes. So no, they wouldn’t be friends anytime soon.

 

“Your majesty, I’ve been lied to enough. I’m not going to ask you what we both know to be true. I won’t insult your honor and duty, but I ask you pay me the same courtesy. We both know we aren’t friends. We are colleagues and Guides. We may have a little in common but we are very far from being friends.”

 

As a prince and even more so now that he was King, T’Challa was not used to being spoken to in such a manner or dismissed. Tony Stark was a unique man and T’Challa knew the genius had a right to feel betrayed, even in this room. Even now as they worked together, T’Challa kept secrets. He refused to change his mind. James Barnes was a victim, like his father. Barnes was a victim of a war far bigger than all of them and older than history. It was his duty as his father’s heir to protect the innocent, including this man. He knew Tony has the right to demand justice for the murder of his parents and it was unfair that he couldn’t get it without targeting an innocent. Life had been very unfair to Tony Stark and T’Challa wished there was a way he could make things right.

 

“Tony, I hope in time you can see you are not alone. I know you are grieving and I cannot imagine what it must feel to go through this loss again. Life is not fair. Sometimes, in order to make things right, you must let them go.”

 

Tony laughed, a cold and hollowed sound. It was not for T’Challa’s words so much as Tony’s epiphany. Months had passed since that fateful day in Siberia when Tony had learned the truth about his past. Months since his present had shattered at his feet. Suddenly it was just a normal day, long past midnight on a seemingly unimpressive December 16 th , 25 years later. The world truly hated him.

 

“You’re funny. You should tell people how big a comedian you are. If you ever decide to turn Wakanda into a Republic, you could have your own cable show.”

 

“You don’t believe me?” T’Challa looked confused. He didn’t understand Tony Stark at all. Every time he thought he finally had the man figured out, Tony changed before his eyes. Like a shapeshifter unable to stay in one skin.

 

“I believe in many things, T’Challa. I believe in the Accords. I believe that we need to be put in check and stopped when we go too far. I believe we can’t force our way into a country and demand the people accept our help. We wouldn’t be any different than Hydra or any other villain we faced. I believe that you will always be loyal to your people and your country; your honor will push you to protect the people you find innocent. What I don’t believe, not even for a second, is that you can possibly understand what it means to know that your parents were killed in cold blood. For twenty-five years I believed my father was responsible. I believed he was driving drunk and caused the accident, killing my mom. I blamed him for everything. I knew, deep down, that he worshiped my mother. She was more than his guide. He was the only thing he truly loved in his life, his soul-mate. And I stained that devotion. I never stopped blaming him and I almost believed his feelings for her were lies. The doubt ate at me for most of my life, always wondering how he could do that to the person he loved.”

 

Despite his hatred for talking about his feelings, his voice was calm. It wasn’t broken by the shaking of his body. Tony was at peace, or perhaps it was shock. It didn’t matter, he was still speaking the truth.

 

“All this time hating him, only to find out that he had never hurt her. His last words were for his wife, his Guide. He begged him. Barnes. The soldier. Whatever you want to call that thing that killed them. He begged for his wife’s life. He died thinking of her.”

 

The truth was: Tony needed to tell his story to someone. It didn’t matter if T’Challa was there by mistake. Tony had always known his father had tried, he simply couldn’t do any better. He couldn’t love Tony the way the child had needed to be loved. Howard didn’t have enough room in his heart for anyone except Maria.

 

“I watched him kill my mom, like she was just collateral. He didn’t even look at her. She was nothing to him. That’s why you’ll never know how I feel. And you know what makes it worse? Rogers fucking knew. Rogers has known for years and he didn’t tell me. To spare himself, hoping I would never find out. I’ve seen his real face and I didn’t like it.”

 

T’Challa was silent, lost in his own thoughts and for a second, doubting his own judgment. Was he wrong? Did he make a mistake in allowing the Captain and his people into Wakanda? He couldn’t change his mind, but Tony’s words settled in the back of his mind like a gentle whisper, weakening his conviction every second.

 

“If we amend the Accords enough, make them right, he will sign them. All of this can be over. We can start to heal.”

 

One thing was for sure, they were all on the verge of collapsing. They needed time to mourn and purge their rotting wounds of infection. They needed time and friendships, a chance to reforge broken bonds.

 

“He won’t. Rogers won’t sign unless I can get the charges against Barnes dropped. It’s the price of his signature. I don’t even know if I can manage it, if it’s even the right thing to do.”

 

“Sometimes, we don’t have a choice. We do what we must. It is the price for being leaders and strong minded individuals.”

 

“It sucks.”

 

A small smile formed on T'Challa's mouth. That was the Tony Stark his father had told him about. Maybe there was still time to save the man.

 

***

It was dark outside when Tony left the office. He couldn’t remember a time when long hours and too little coffee was so hard. He wasn’t as young as he used to be, and the so presses so called “Civil War” had taken a toll on him. Tony was tired, but he had no plans to give up. He didn’t know how to stop. It was one of the reasons he had lost Pepper. She was an amazing Sentinel, but she deserved a better Guide, someone she with whom she could have a real bond.

 

The sky was covered by heavy clouds, and the snow wrapped everything in a beautiful and clean blanket. If only Tony didn't know how terrible snow looked in a city as big as New York he would have loved the picture. The wind bit straight through his coat, chilling him down to the bone. Tony couldn’t say he minded, the weather was serene. Perfect for keeping him company on his long walk.

 

As he walked, Tony’s gaze fell upon thousands of people out window shopping, bright happy smiles and laughter in the air. Christmas was so close and here Tony was back at square one, alone. He had no one he could trust. The only person who ever loved him enough to see beyond the masks and bullshit was 6 feet under. She had been gone for so long Tony couldn’t remember her face anymore. All he had was her voice, branded in his memory. 

 

 

 

People were happy that time of the year. It looked like they forgot all their fears and struggles. They only wanted to be with their families and to do everything in their power to make someone happy. Tony missed the time in his life when he had known what it meant to be happy. It had been different for him.

 

Happiness was, for a young Tony, baking with Jarvis and Ana in the kitchen. Being allowed to be a child when Howard wasn't looking, learning that cooking and science weren’t all that different. It was being allowed in his parent’s room while his mom got ready for another one of her endless galas. When she would tuck him into his bed. He was always so careful not to wrinkle her dress or ruin her makeup but Maria never left without a kiss to his  _bimbo_ . Tony missed a great deal of things in his life but above else he missed the smudged imprint of her lipstick on his forehead.

 

There was something else that made Tony happy in his younger years, something he tried so hard to deny and forget. Something so rare, Tony had thought it to be a figment of his imagination during his long stupors while at MIT. Sometimes Howard allowed Tony into his lab and worked with the boy on small projects. These projects grew in complexity and difficulty as Tony got older. Howard, however, was a jealous man and Tony had been far too smart for his own good. It had stopped when Tony was four and had succeeded where Howard failed. Tony still missed those moments when Howard was proud of him and Tony could feel that even without words, Howard loved his child.

 

 

He’d really thought he had more time. After MIT and a PhD, when he could show Howard he was as smart as him, Tony would have begun to mend the distance between them. His mom would have had the family she deserved.

 

But he never had time after all. They were gone and he was alone.

 

“Sir? Are you okay?”

 

Tony almost startled when someone spoke to him, and it looked like it wasn't the first time. The old lady behind the counter was looking at him with concern in her eyes.

 

“What?”

 

“You came in and when I asked if I could help you, you didn't answer. I asked twice.”

 

“I'm sorry ma'am. I'd like to have all the white roses and lilies you have.”

 

Those were his mom's favorite. The flowers were always present to her galas and in the mansion. Howard paid gardeners a heavy sum to keep those flowers alive no matter what time of the year and now it looked like they were the best present he could take to them. It was the best way to apologize for all the years he missed visiting them.

 

“You are kidding right?” She sputtered in shock.

 

“No ma'am I really am not.” Tony took out his black credit card and gave it to the lady. “Please put everything on it, and take some for the bother. I can understand it will be hard for you to order more so close to Christmas, and I would hate to make things hard for you.”

 

The woman stood in shock, eyes flickering between Tony and the card in front of her. In the end she took the card with shaking fingers. They were knotted with callouses and the skin was cracked along the edges. The dirt and distorted coloring from the flowers took permanent residence in the cracks. It painted a beautiful picture of the passion and time she had put into her work.

 

“Where should I send the flowers?”

 

Tony was amazed by the pride in her voice. Usually people were disgusted by his mere presence or so ready to lick his ass that it was disgusting to watch, but the old lady in the flowers shop treated him like any other client.

 

“If you'd be so kind as to prepare it for me, I'd like to take a bunch with me, everything else you can send it to the grave of Howard and Maria Stark.”

 

The woman gasped loudly before flushing, looking back at him sheepishly. If she knew who he was, she didn’t say. She didn’t tell him anything, simply went about preparing the bouquet like he asked. It was elegant and wetly scented. Maria would have loved them for sure and Tony couldn’t help the small smile crossing his face.

 

The woman didn’t speak again until Tony had tuned to leave. She moved around the shop, collecting the various flowers Tony bought, but her attention was focused on him. “You should smile more. It reminds me so much of your mother’s.”

 

Tony grasped at the flowers so hard that the thorns sunk into his palm and he welcomed the small pain.

 

“Did you... did you know her?”

 

“I met her once. She was visiting the hospital for one of her charities. Like many other children in oncology my son was dying. I was a mess and I couldn't remember how much time I had spent tat his bed side. I knew those were his last days on this Earth and I couldn't leave him alone. She was a ray of light that day and I never forgot her smile. You look a lot like her when you let yourself go unguarded.”

 

Tony wasn't good with feelings but he couldn't stop himself from hugging the woman. She had met Maria, and somehow he felt a connection with her.

 

“Thank you ma'am. You have no idea how much that means to me.”

 

***

 

Time passed too slowly and too quickly at the same time while Tony walked to his parent's grave. Iron Man couldn't remember the last time he had visited. For years he had always had a ready excuse. First school, then he was in Europe visiting relatives he couldn’t care less about. It was parties and galas and so much alcohol it was a miracle his liver hadn’t given out. Becoming CEO is a valid excuse, right? Afghanistan had followed and his duty as Iron man. Excuse after excuse, all to keep running form the truth. His parents were gone and he hadn’t said goodbye.

 

When he reached the trail to his family grave Tony realized there was something wrong. The snow was almost totally untouched and an untrained eye probably wouldn't have seen it. Too bad Tony was a prisoner in the desert and something of that experience stuck to him. Someone had walked there and the falling snow didn't hide his tracks.

 

“You're not as stealthy as you think, your kittiness. You should have the Widow teach you a thing or two about being invisible.”

 

T'Challa held three red roses and at least had the grace to look ashamed.

 

“I apologize Tony, but I felt like it was my duty to meet our parents. Without them the man and guide you're today wouldn't be here and this world would be a worst place just for that.”

 

Tony ignore his words. For a long time he focused on cleaning the marble enough to make place for the flowers. His long fingers now covered in leather, stroke the picture he put on the gravestone years after their death. He found it while cleaning the Mansion. Maria was beautiful in it. Howard for once took time from work and only devoted himself to his Guide. They escaped in Italy and they were happy, probably for the last time in their lives. Both of them were smiling and Tony wanted to remember them in a moment when Howard's mind was miles away from super serum and super soldiers and everything that ruined their life in the end.

 

The silence was pleasant. It helped Tony's mind to calm down. The pain was there, the loss was so deep he felt he couldn't breathe but now he was at peace. He could let Howard go knowing that he didn't kill Maria, that he tried to save her and his last thought was for the one woman who made him human. He could say goodbye to his father. He really had tried, Tony knew it. Yes, he failed, but only because he was trapped in a time that was too ancient for him. His mind had needed something more and in the end he found his peace only in Maria and her gentle and unobtrusive love. He was old enough to understand that now. It wasn't his fault, he didn't do anything wrong, it was just that Howard was a man out of time and he didn't even know it. 

 

A tear ran along his cheek. After so long he was finally ready. He could say goodbye to his father but he knew he couldn't do the same with his mother. It still hurt too much.

 

He saw the red roses find their place between the white flowers. They looked like blood staining the snow and the delicate petals of the lilies. “It's appropriate.” He said with a sigh. “You didn't have the right to intrude, but I'm glad you're here. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't mean anything. Just that I didn't want to be alone today.”

 

Tony Stark walked away leaving T'Challa behind and it was ironic because he could remember another time when someone walked away without turning back. Later he would call Charles and tell him about Ross. For now he remembered and allowed himself to feel for the first time in too long. He needed the Avengers back and not because he forgave them, but because he knew his role. They needed him even if they didn't know and he couldn't stop his instinct. Serve and Protect the Sentinels. That was the Guide’s motto, a path every single one of them followed and it was time for Tony to take back his place no matter how hard it would be.

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, all the mistakes are mine. My beta did an Amazing job, but she can't make miracles ^^

London was at its most beautiful in the early morning. As the first rays of sunlight danced across the Thames, one could almost look past its modernity and look into its glorious history. The past lay on the ground and speaks out to people of all colors and religions. It’s this beautiful balance between the past and the present that brought Charles here in the first place.

Charles had known his husband, his sentinel, hadn’t been happy in America. Erik had followed his worst nightmare into that country and the pain it had reaped was just too much. Charles had learned to hate the race he had once found so beautiful and knew it was time to come home. Time to return to his destiny.

While Charles took his role as Europe’s Alpha Guide a part of his soul still felt the pull for teaching young people to become independent and free. The guide couldn’t regret his choice. Teaching young guides to open and calm their minds, to look for their sentinels and learn to take care of them was more important than anything else in his life. Teaching and Erik.

The path Charles and Erik had walked together was long and painful. Erik’s trust in the world was shaken in a camp in Poland, where people without a soul almost destroyed him in an attempt to ‘understand’ the bond between guides and sentinels. The experiments performed in that camp had been inhuman. So many beautiful souls had been put to death and the wound in Erik’s soul still gaped.

The one time Charles had invaded Erik’s mind had taught him everything his love had felt since he had been a child. All of the pain and suffering, magnified by tenfold, flooding his senses as they bonded. Charles had decided then and there that Erik would never feel that kind of agony again. He’d burn the world to ash if it kept his husband safe.

Charles loved to wake early most mornings, a habit he had developed while he had still been in school. The first hours tended to be quieter and Charles enjoyed the peace while the minds of his classmates were quiet with sleep. It was a pleasant break from the usual chaos and noise of so many thoughts. The habit had held true, even in his later years of life. Today though, something was different. He felt an offness about that morning, the strangeness settling into his bones and tingling in his fingertips.

He didn’t wake to the alluring smell of freshly brewed coffee and just baked pastries. Instead Charles woke to a ringing in his ears, the song of every piece of metal within the house vibrating. It had only happened once but Charles knew what it meant: nothing good. When Erik lost control and every ounce of alloy vibrated in response to his rage meant he was unbalanced and needed Charles to help calm him and guide him back to reality.

Without a second though, Charles rushed into the kitchen and took in the sight. Erik had only gotten more beautiful with time. Gone was the haunted look in his eye but even as it eased a knot in Charles’ chest the wave of sadness broke his heart. Erik sat at the kitchen table, a newspaper gripped tightly in his gently shaking hands. Charles could feel the anger and he wanted nothing more to reach out and soothe the other mutant. Charles had promised to allow Erik to keep the solitude of his mind and Charles didn’t want to invade his privacy.

“Erik, love, is everything alright?”

It was only then that Charles had seen the title. Erik was reading the New York Times. No matter how far away they went, they still needed to keep an eye on world news, particularly locations where so many of those they cared about resided. It was their duty. As the alpha pair of Europe, they were vastly outnumbered. Charles could admit they weren’t ready. After the mess in Sakovia and the rising fear, they had lost focus. Captain America’s Civil War destroys people’s trust in heroes.  
Somethings never changed. American journalists loved their Sensationalism.

“No Charles, I am not alright.”

Erik’s voice sounded broken and empty. It wasn’t often Charles was faced with the ghost of the past. It had been a long time since he had seen Erik behind so many walls and the pain in his husband’s voice made Charles’ blood boil. No one had the right to hurt his husband like this, least of all Captain America and all the mess he created across the globe. Charles’ had worked tirelessly for weeks after the carnage that was left in Lagos and Vienna in an attempt to assist everyone who needed his help.

People had seen the effect of a Sentinel losing his guide. The way they slowly lost their grip on reality and shut down in face of the agony. What not many knew was what it meant for a guide to lose his sentinel. The effects were far less explosive. A guide without a bonded sentinel simply faded into nothingness. It was like watching someone starve to death. The will to live slowly abandoned the body. Every emotion dulled and in the end there was nothing left. It was tragic to watch.

So many lives were lost even before the tragedies in Germany. So many Sentinels died because of injury. Steve Rogers and his friend didn’t seem to realize the damage their enhanced strength could cause. Few of the police men and agents sent to take in Barnes weren't uninjured. Perhaps they didn’t care. All Roger’s could think about was running to rescue his friend, the last link to his past and he refused to stop for anything.

Many of the men who died that day were Sentinels, strong and proud to serve their countries. They had only been doing their jobs, following orders, and while yes he knew he couldn’t say it aloud to Erik, it was still the truth. A truth that had nearly cost him the love of his life in Cuba and Charles wouldn’t make that mistake again. It was still the truth. They were following orders and died because the man they had trusted to protect them couldn’t think straight. Charles had taken their lost guides under his wing. Those from Europe worked with Charles personally and he strived to keep them safe and sane. It was an uphill battle. Charles knew he could only treat the symptoms and in the end the world would lose them.

Erik and Charles never spoke about their view on what happened. It looked like now was the time.

“Tell me.”

“It’s all bullshit. They call it a war and they don’t even know what war is. What makes it worse is that Rogers should have known better. He should have known the accords were here to stay, it wouldn’t matter if he signed them or not. What was he thinking?! Is he arrogant enough to think that they would disappear into thin air just because Captain America didn’t agree with them? How can he have seen so much and still be so naive. People are scared and we both know what fear can drive people to do. He had a chance to change things, to prevent fear from flowing into violence against people who were different. He spat on it like it was nothing.”

Charles knew the only thing he could do while Erik was so stressed was to convince him to talk without him hiding behind his mental walls. Watching his rub absentmindedly at the number imprinted in the soft skin of his inner arm.

“I know what it means to be hated because of what you are. I saw what people can do when they hate you simply because you were born different. What was he thinking? How long until his actions come back and bite the rest of us. That the only thing he showed was that America can’t be controlled and the rest of us are too dangerous to be allowed to live freely.”

Charles’ mind was a turmoil of emotions and fear and pain that wasn’t his own. Erik was projecting so loudly that not even the walls he kept around his mind could shield him.

“Does he really think because he was a war hero that he knows better? He was only a child and didn’t have a clue what was really happening. He never saw a camp in his life. He thinks he knows better. He thinks he knows what it’s like to live in a society where your neighbors sell you and your family out just because of what you are and what you represent. What’s his plan? Fear is the fuel of disaster but of course he doesn’t care. He made a mess and left it for others to clean up, only this time I don’t think Tony can work miracles.”

“Love, I see you point. I see why you are so worried, but I can’t blame Steve Roger’s. Not wholly. He made mistakes, we all do. I blame the people and actions that threw him into this arena. You’re right, he’s just a child when he was frozen and he’s been thrown into this completely new world. In the past people used him as justification because of his title and the ends always justify the means in their eyes. But Steve Rogers is so young. Who desperately wants to do what he thinks is right and but he’s fallible. Just like every other human being. People refuse to see the difference between Steve Rogers and Captain America. The symbol and the man behind the mask.”

“He still had the power to stop this from happening. He could have listened to Tony, but no. Rogers is a sentinel so he must know better.”

Charles had to fight to keep a giggle from escaping. Yes, Steve was stubborn, but he was no different from the one in front of him. Charles could still remember how sure Erik was that he was the only who could defeat Herr Doctor and that he didn’t need backup or assistance. Like Steve, Erik was scared and traumatized and no one ever helped Steve Rogers. It was clear the man was suffering from PTSD. People too often looked at him and only saw Captain America or attempted to help him.

“Yes he did. Tony was the only one who could have changed the accords. He was the only fluent in the same shady language as those who wrote them. Tony had grown up in a world of sharks, feared and hated for his powers as a guide. He gained more power than those in business and the Army believed he had the right to have. Tony fought for his right to be a billionaire, a genius, and one of the most caring people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. In the end he had to hide his heart behind walls of steel to protect himself from those that would tear him apart.”

‘”Why didn’t Rogers trust him? He had to know Tony would know how to control the situation.”

“Because they don’t see beyond the myth and the icon. They don’t see the real man, even if they think they do. I pity them. And I blame them. So much of this pain could have been prevented if Steve had seen his limits. He didn’t and now we pay the price.”

And what a price it was. The Councils were working around the clock to protect their own, but with the recent loss of King T’Chaka the guides were down to important figures. It was almost impossible for them to keep up with the ordeal. Hopefully soon T’Challa would be crowned and take his rightful place on the council. Until then, Council as only three strong and America had yet to place its Alpha in a seat of power. He swore he would take it when he found his other half and despite their desperation, Charles couldn’t find it in himself to force the issue and pressure the man into something he wasn’t ready for.

The palpable tension in the room was broken by the shrill ringing of the phone and Charles found himself smiling before he heard the voice on the other side,

“Hello Tony, is good to hear from you.”

***

Time passed differently in Wakanda. At least, it felt that way to Natasha. Had she been in New York, she would have spared with Clint or Steve, or her time would be spent in the kitchen baking Russian cakes and sweets with Tony. She wasn’t in New York, however, and she doubted Tony would waste the time on her or any of them.

Natasha regretted writing the report when they first met, now that she knew how wrong she had been. Tony had been dying, and yet she wrote the report anyway. She had known, deep down, she was making a mistake but his nature had worried her. Tony Stark was a guide and a guide didn’t have a place in a group made solely of Sentinels. Natasha had been taught all her life that there was something wrong in their nature, a lesson Red Room had drilled too deep. It wasn’t until she had met Tony that she had learned just how deep. He was everything she had learned to hate and she never gave him a chance. She stormed into his life already passing judgment, thinking she knew him. She’d been wrong.

Despite how wrongly she had treated him, Tony never faltered in his kindness and generosity. He’d given her a home, a true home filled with broken people he had loved all the same. People just like her. Tony Stark had given her a family and she never bothered to look past her own misgivings.

Natasha had been in the kitchen one night, nightmares chasing any hope of sleep away while she drowned her pains in alcohol and tea. Tony came up from his lab, hair a mess of grease and t-shirt stained with plethora of chemicals. He looked so different from the man in the magazines. The Tony Stark shown to the media dressed to impress and pared each well pressed suit with even better pressed smile. The man in front of her was the exact opposite with the maniac glint in his eyes and a childish grin. Natasha didn’t trust that grin, didn’t know how.

“If you keep staring like that you’ll get wrinkles. Not that you have to worry about it. You hardly look a day over 28, even when you’ve clocked as many as Steve. I wouldn’t worry about it too much, but you know one day I won’t be around to remind you.”

Natasha froze. Could it be possible he knew the truth? If he did, why hadn’t he used the information before? It was perfect blackmail. Why would he?

“Calm down Natasha. Just breathe with me. You’re alright.”

When she opened her eyes again Tony was kneeling beside her, hiding the worry behind the same bright smile.

“Feel better?”

She could only nod slowly. Tony Stark had taken her by surprise and by the smirk on his face, he knew it. Tony, the bastard, had tricked her, Fury, and every single person that thought they had figured him out. She wondered if anyone really knew him outside of those he counted as real friends.

“How did you know?” she asked quietly. Tony chuckled in response.

“Natasha, I’m the best hacker this side of the Prime Meridian. I built Jarvis drunk and mourning. I built the first iron man suit in a cave out of scrap metal. Did you truly believe your handlers could hide that information anywhere I wouldn’t be able to find it?”

“Why?”

“Why what? Why did I dig for it or why haven’t I used it against you? Since I’m a nice guy, I guess I’ll answer both. I needed to know who I was inviting in my house. Don’t feel too singled out, I dug up everything I could on every single one of you. I needed to know who I was letting into my home and who I would need to protect myself against. I knew you were lethal before, but finding out about the serum and the training under the Winter Solider? I wasn’t expecting it, I’ll be honest. But, I only needed this information for myself. I don’t get anything by selling you out ad I’ve no interest in black mailing you. It’s not my field and I’ve got more money than I know what to do with. You’re secret is safe with me Natasha. Any secret you want to give me.”

Tony Stark fried vatrushka for her that night. He kept his word and her trust, not because he was afraid of her, but because he was kind and valued her. Tony Stark wasn’t afraid of her, had stopped being afraid long before the Avengers had formed and proved himself a loyal friend. Still, no matter how fiercely he protected her, she never found a way to trust him.

It was so much easier to follow Steve. Steve was a Sentinel, a natural leader. He wasn’t someone who could control your mind or your will. Natasha saw guides as unnatural and evil for this very ability, something created to submit to Sentinels. Never to lead them. Her handles had explained this to her and other widows many times, beating this message into their heads by force. How many Guides had she killed for this very reason? The number was too high for her to count. It had taught her many things, including to fear a Sentinel whose Guide was threatened. They would beg her not to kill their Guides instead of being glad for their freedom. They had looked at her with broken, hate filled eyes when she was finished. Natasha had feared losing her life in a mission only three times and each was a Sentinel who’s Guide she had stolen. Two of those instance she had been saved by her handler. The third had chosen to use the final bullet on himself rather than her. Natasha never understood why until now. The gentle and unobtrusive presence in her mind was very different from what she had expected.

She had fought with everything she had, tried to break the bond before it had the chance to settle, but it was impossible. There was nowhere she could go and be herself again. She was trapped with a Guide she didn’t want and didn’t know what to do. She missed Tony. Tony would have had answers. He would have known how to keep her calm and let her see that maybe a Guide wasn’t the worst thing that could happen to her. He would have shown her it wasn’t a curse. She could survive and manage herself even with someone else’s presence. Too bad she couldn’t go back to Tony. She had no right to expect the Genius would still be there for her. No after betraying him.

She didn’t regret letting Steve and Bucky escape. She knew it had been the right thing to do because Steve wasn’t going to stop and people were going to get hurt because of it. What a joke. People had already been hurt, good people. Rhodes was their friend and team mate. So was Tony. Yet she was there for neither of them. No, she had to make sure that two fellow Sentinels could escape the mess she and her comrades had helped make. She had to help them more than she had to stand by Tony’s side while he worried if his brother would live or die. Natasha was a coward and unleashed it against Tony. Tony hadn’t deserved it. He had only been following what he believed to be the truth, and despite that he had continued protecting her. He had kept Ross at bay long enough for her to escape to Wakanda. Tony had admitted his mistakes and gone to help Steve and Bucky only to find out that his friend, the one man he thought he could trust – because if you can’t trust Captain America, who can you trust- had lied to him for over a year about the death of Tony’s parents.

“Nat, is everything okay?”

And here he was, the Guide she didn’t want and the one who could feel her every emotion, every second of the day.

“Don’t you know? You’re in my head after all.” She spat, words filled with rage and disgust. She was weak. She was weak and worthless and it had allowed him to imprint on her.

She had reached the solitude of her room while the sun was still high. She was sick of the jungle, sick of people looking at her as if she were a monster there to bewitch and kill their beloved king. She was sick of hiding and being a fugitive. Sick of running from the only place she could ever call home. Looking out the window, she realized the sun had long since gone down. She had been lost in her thought for hours; it was no wonder Sam was worried.

“I promised you I wouldn’t invade your mind. But I could feel how upset you are and I’m worried. I’ve tried giving you space but I can’t fight my own instincts. You’re mine to care for and you’re suffering. Please, just let me help.”

“You mean I’m your to control and command. Don’t bullshit me Wilson, I know what your kind do.”

Did she really? Was she really so sure that she knew what a guide was? She wasn’t sure anymore. Tony and Wilson went against everything she though she knew but she just couldn’t let it go. She was falling and breaking apart at the seams and she couldn’t let go of the few things she still thought to be true. She needed an anchor and wasn’t ready to allow Wilson to take that place.

_Wakanda was so different from what Natasha had expected. It was like a jump into the past and the future at the same time. The people lived so simply and yet the country was one of the most technologically advanced in the world. Only Tony could hope to really understand everything the country had achieved and he wasn’t there._

_She was walking through the market. She needed to see the lay of the land and find escape routes. With her luck, she would need them sooner rather than later. Natasha tried to focus but her mind continued to drift for a reason she didn’t understand. Everything was too bright and too loud._

_People’s voices hurt her ears so much she thought they would begin to bleed. The small of fresh spices assaulted her nose and lite her senses on fire. Her eye watered and threatened to tear. She wouldn’t cry, she was the Black Widow, the last survivor. She would not cry because the smell of Chili and Berberé were too strong. What hurt the most was all the colour. They were all too bright and too vivid. She was in agony._

_She realized she was falling when her knees hit the ground. She couldn’t breathe of ask for help. Even if she could, she wouldn’t have. She refused to be weak._

_“Natasha, is that you?”_

_A voice called out to her but it was more than that. She needed to reach out to that voice, that voice meant safety. She knew that voice would take care of her and would make everything better. She tried to reach for it but her body felt too heavy and refused to move. She did the only thin she could and reached out with her mind, desperate. Before she knew it, there was someone with her. She was vulnerable and the voice was there and with it came a presence. Something warm but not painful. It wrapped around her like safety blanket._

_“I’m here Nat. I’ve got you. Just let go. I’m here, you’re safe.”_

She woke up hours later, her body using the time to settle the bond. The memory sank into the back of her mind, clearing her thoughts. When she opened her eyes, she wasn’t alone anymore. Sam was there, by her side and in her head. The voice belonged to him and the warm embrace she had felt was their bond, vibrating gently between them.

She was still confused, even after the bond had long since settled. She had expected the initial bond to be painful, a form of slavery that always reminded the Sentinel of the lost freedom. It was supposed to mean despair and fear, yet she could feel none of it.

Was Sam trying to trick her, to lure her into a false sense of security? Was he waiting for her to feel a sense of herself again only to strike her when she least expected it? Was Sam even like that? Everything he had done and said since the beginning of the bond said otherwise, but how could she know? She never allowed a Guide to expose himself to her. She didn’t want to see the true nature of a Guide, she couldn’t.

“Nat, are you with me?”

She looked at him and for the first time she saw how tired and defeated he looked. Was it because of her? Did he regret the bond already?

“I’m here. I’m steady.”

She had been since that day in the Market. She was more stable than she had felt in a long time. Sam helped her so much and all she did in return was shut him out. But, how could she trust him and break decades of conditioning. She was just too tired.

“Please, Nat, let me help you. You’re my Sentinel, and I know that doesn’t mean anything to you, but it’s my duty to make sure you’re okay. Tell me how to help you. Tell me how I can make you happy again.”

Natasha broke at the sound of distress in his voice. The agony she felt filled the room and the bond and still Sam was there. He pulled her into his arms and cradled her close while she cried her heart out for hours.

“I want to go home Sam. Take me home, please. Just take me home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because RL is hell, i probably will need another Beta. If someone is interested please let me know.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn something more about Tony as a Guide, and people who challenged him will pay the price.

Tony was furious. He paced the room like a caged lion, his killer gaze betraying the rolling of his emotions. He seethed and snarled as the rage built up, muscles tense and quivering in his barely restrained anger. Ross, fucking Ross. Not even the secretary of State this time either. It seemed that Tony was cursed to suffer through every idiot graced with the name. Everyone bearing the name was destined to be a pain in Tony’s ass.

Everett Ross, in his infinite wisdom, did the one thing he shouldn’t have. He was able to throw his money around at anyone with a hint of power and now Zemo’s trial had been pushed forward. Set to take place in New York and bound to be the biggest trail since Nuremberg. The press was all over it like rabid dogs.

The only thing that kept Tony from completely snapping was T’Challa. The young king had been rightfully horrified and swore he would remain by Tony’s side during the long months ahead of them. Tony would have felt a lot better about the whole mess is her he didn’t know the Avengers were watching comfortably from the media room in the Wakanda Royal Palace.

They should be here. This was their mess Tony was cleaning up and it was their fault as much as it was his. Tony at least had the decency to admit his mistakes. The Avengers should be here for the trial and the exhausting clean up. Only they were nowhere to be seen and Tony and T’Challa were left to be the official face of the Accords with Rhodey and Vision covering the front lines. The entire situation was a disaster.

No one has the courage to admit why Secretary Ross hadn’t been able to push the Accords further. If Tony and the remainder of his team hadn’t signed the documents, who knows what Ross kinds of edits Ross could have pushed forward. The fight to make heroes accountable for their mistakes was the only reasons people like Spider Man and the Mutants weren’t being thrown into prison cells and camps. But of course Mr. I’m always right and the world can just get over it was too stubborn, blind, and naïve to see it coming. 

The trial was on American Soil and the inevitable circus of media had already begun. Paparazzi mixed with news journalist camped outside the tower, begging for a chance to catch a glimpse of Tony Stark and King T’Challa. Everyone wanted to know what they thought and how they planned to move forward. The press were all eager to know the fates of the fugitives and what would happen to them after the trail. Tony didn’t have a solid answer and too be honest, he really didn’t care. His hands were full enough as it was and now wasn’t the time to be worried about people that wouldn’t even come state side. No need to add fuel to the fire.

Tony stared out the window at the crowds of journalists and news reports, all clambering over each other and shouting questions at the passing vehicle. He glanced back at T’Challa with exasperation in his eyes and a frown marring his face.

“This is ridiculous. How could they think we would know anything?”

T’Challa had always expressed his dislike for the America Press. Being prince and now King of the most technologically advanced country in the world, a country that was kept so hidden in the shadows of world politics, T’Challa had been hidden fro, the ugly truth of the matter. Journalists thirsted for blood and they knew just where to hit to get some.

“Well for one they didn’t hit too far from the real target. You know the former Avengers are at least thinking of the situation.” 

T’Challa opened his mouth to answer when Tony waved a hand in a dismissive gesture.  
“Don’t start. We both know you gave them enough freedom and you have the technology to allow them free range of information about what’s going on in real time. They are probably spending their time trying to see how far I can go before tripping, so don’t bother. I know they know and I know you probably discussed the situation at length with them before coming here.”

It was the truth of course but it still wounded T’Challa’s sense of honor to see the sadness in Tony’s eyes. The man could be many things but he cared deeply for the people T’Challa was harbouring in Wakanda. It hurt him to see how little they saw of the man in front of him and how far Tony was willing to go to keep them safe. Sadness, yes, but resolution as strong as the alloy that made his armor.

A long time ago, a playboy went into a cave as a spoiled brat and came out Iron man. T’Challa couldn’t tell what man came out of the bunker in Siberia yet, but he hoped he was as good if not better as the Man of Iron that entered. He just knew it wasn’t the same man who had tried so hard to keep the Avengers together.

Tony had made mistakes. He was only human, no matter what he and everyone else liked to believe. He was far from the only one to make mistakes though.

“We should focus on today and leave everything for tomorrow. We’ll have time to think about what to do soon enough. For now we have to make sure we can control the incoming fall out.”

“But of course your fluffiness. Just be careful not to be distracted by a red dot on the floor and we should be fine. What I there too worry about, after all? A member of the American Government dragged an international criminal from the Netherlands, where the trial should have been kept, to American Soil, where we have no right to keep him. A sentinel dragged another sentinel, this on being highly unstable, here so that the world can see what happens when you lose your guide. He’s going to open the issue to the public opinion and one look at Zemo will tell the public we were wrong, again. He is in no state to face judgment, because I’m pretty sure no one gave him any form of medical treatment in his time spent in the glass cage. Oh, wait, we still have to wait for the guide Council to tear us a new on because we let this happen.”

T’Challa desperately wanted to ask if the nicknames Tony kept giving him were a sign that the other man was warming up to his presence or just to ignore him. Unfortunately, Tony was right. They had more important matters to deal with at the moment. The young king knew Tony was right, that this was not how the trial was supposed to go but here was nothing he could do to change it. It was moments like this that made his long to return to Wakanda, with his family and his people. There was much to do before the official crowning: the high priest needed to speak with him and Charles Xavier was due to arrive just days before the official date. He and his husband were two of the most important people on Earth and T’Challa knew well that displeasing them would be a horrid start to his new reign and for the whole of Wakanda. To hide international fugitives in his home without revealing their presence to Xavier would be impossible and T'Challa still wasn’t sure what to do about the Avengers.

The Avengers should have been there with him and Tony, but they weren’t. Tony was right, it was on them to prevent another international accident from blowing up in their faces. With their luck, it was only a matter of time before everything went wrong and T’Challa could only hope they were prepared. 

T’Challa and Tony arrived at the court house and weren’t surprised to see the thousands of people standing outside already. Hundreds of people carried billboards and picket signs with words filled with hate. Most were directed at Zemo, a few even having the names of people that had died in his insane plot to destroy the Avengers. Tony could help but puzzle of the circumstances, about how close he came to standing in Zemo’s shoes as a wanted criminal, a murder of thousands, and how the people praised him a hero. Where were the signs with those people’s names? The victims of his weapons and Ultron? The signs with those innocent people Wanda killed in Lagos? Where are the names of the people Steve killed in Washington when he brought down the Helicarriers? Who remembered them? It was only more proof that the Avengers and every other group of vigilantes in the world needed to be held accountable for their mistakes and the victims they left on the ground. It didn’t matter that they were trying to help and do the right thing if innocent civilians had to pay the price. 

Tony wasn’t surprised when he got out of the car that the security surrounding them were not ordinary police officers. Each member wore well fitted black suits and a badge on their chest. It all felt very Men in Black. Happy, dear Happy was smiling at Tony but it did nothing to erase the tired look in his face or the bags beneath his eyes. Tony felt the anger rearing anew. Roger’s mess was hitting his family. Once again, Tony was failing to protect the people most important to him.

“Hey Boss, nice day to be out, don’t you think?” He shouted over the screaming questions and protests around them. Everyone wanted a statement from Tony or T’challa. Everyone wanted to hear how the trial would end. It was too bad that the men they demanded answers from didn’t have more a clue than they did. Tony was just one man against the media circus after all.

“Not your boss anymore Happy, you know that.” He said with a forced smile. God he missed Happy, or course he could never take him from Pepper, but he hadn’t truly felt safe since that day in Siberia. Even when he was in the tower with Friday watching over them and his super-secret project slowly taking form in his lab, Tony Stark couldn’t find a single way to feel safe again.

“Starting today at 6 am you go back to being my boss, Boss. Pepper’s order and I’m not going to be the one to tell her you said no.”

T’Challa chose that moment to place a hand against Tony’s shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze. “If he’s half as good as you claim, you’ll need him by your side.”

T’Challa’s Doa Milaje were following every step he had taken since he left the embassy that morning and it was good to know someone had Tony’s back. Without War Machine close, T’Challa feared for Tony’s safety. Even if the great Tony Stark didn’t need or want a friend the young king had begun to think of Tony as someone who could be a very close friend once the air between them was cleaned. One more reason to work even harder on the Accords.

“Thank you, your Majesty. This way please, I'll escort you to the courtroom.” 

*** 

Security was impressive, Everywhere one looked there were armed soldiers and metal detectors calibrated to recognize close to every known alloy, natural or otherwise. Thanks to Tony and SI vibranium was also included. 

The task force led by Ross was already there but Ross himself and the prisoner were curiously missing. Ross had out done himself this time. He had clearly wanted the media attention on what had the possibility of being his greatest victory. Tony could see his path to the White House being paved in gold and diamonds if everything ran smoothly. Tony only wished there was something he could do to crash Ross’ little party.  
“This is disgusting. He’s parading around like a peacock.” Tony stifled a giggle at T’Challa’s tone.

“I thought you liked him, oh royal ball of fluff.”

“I like the man, not what he became in the face of power.”

Tony looked at him for a long while and T’Challa felt like even time would bend to the man’s will if he had wished it.

“Sometimes what power makes you become is only what you had always been inside and tried to hide. Not everyone is a good man, T’Challa, only incapable of acting on that evil. The sooner you learn that, the sooner you’ll stop looking for light in the darkest of places.”

T’Challa didn’t know if the man had always been so wise and hid it behind the many masks he wore every day or it the Avengers had changed him so drastically. He was sure of one thing; the man at his side wasn’t what the media and the people hiding in Wakanda had tried to paint.

“Sometimes, even in the darkest of places, there is still hope to rescue people and their souls. Never forget that. Don’t allow yourself to forget that.”

The door opened behind them and Everett Ross stepped inside. He was immediately followed by four heavily armed guards that reminded Tony of the STRIKE team. Looking at them he realized he wasn’t too far off from the truth and smirked. Oh this was too good. He could envision Steve spitting soda all over the place and chocking on his own tongue.

The leader, wrapped in black tactical gear showing a compact but well-kept frame, was Brock Rumlow, one of the toughest and most feared guides in the United States Army and Secret Services. There were rumors about him, some were even ready to claim he wasn’t a guide at all, but a brainwashed sentinel. Tony would laughed every time. People loved to believe guides were these delicate and fragile flowers who couldn’t look after themselves. They couldn’t possibly lead a team of sentinels, so powerful and strong.

Rumlow stood at the front, ready to use the weapons he kept to cleverly hidden. Tony could see why Natasha was so weary of him. Brock was everything the spy hated in the world wrapped in a guide package.

In the back towards the left stood Jack Rollins, Rumlow’s husband. Tony had hacked their files long before Natasha had leaked them to the world and never could find the story on how the two men had met, or even how it as possible for them to bond. All Tony had been able to find was that they had been put on the same team because doctors had assured Fury and SHEILD it was impossible for them to form a bond of any kind. Tony would have given a good portion of his money to see Fury’s face when the two had come back from a long mission bonded and married. Such arrangements were beyond even Fury’s control.

“Do you know them?”

“Not personally, but I intend to.” Tony wanted them working for him and he was going to do whatever it took to make it happen. He knew the men were too skilled to bend to a man like Ross. Tony couldn’t fathom why they had bothered to stay with Fury so long. “They were old friends of Rogers’. He will be so pleased to hear they aren’t dead or HYDRA of course. People had been claiming they were HYDRA plants so they had to lay low for a bit before they could come out of hiding.”

“And you don’t happen to know how they survived what I’d call the fall of SHEILD?” T’challa was brilliant, a real genius in every way. Tony would have loved to play with him.

“Bravo kitty-cat. I’d marry you and have your brain babies if you weren’t a guide. I made sure they were safe and in good health as soon as I realized they were triple agents. Now, I want them.” He whispered. 

“The Captain won’t be happy.”

“Rogers’ will have to suck it up.”

Tony and T’Challa pretended to pay attention as Ross began his speech. It was a typical super-villain monologue, albeit a boring one. 

Tony was nervous. Zemo wasn’t with them yet but Ross was taking too long. Of course, Tony and T’Challa had been informed about the ways to move the prisoner and neither of them were happy with what they found.

They used the same glass case they had used to hold Barnes. Zemo obviously lacked the super soldier strength and couldn’t break free, but why wasn’t he here yet? Was it really worth it to waste so much time? Tony was sure everyone in the room had better things to do. He could see Rollins patience wearing thing fast and Tony knew the only reason the man was standing there was because his bonded was so close.

The moment the cage was pushed inside all hell broke loose. The glass was smoky and Tony didn’t like not being able to see clearly. It took Ross’s people at least 10 minutes to take Zemo from the cage. Tony was instantly on his feet, pushing T’Challa out of the way and growling at anyone who dared attempt to stop him. The silence was heavy, sucking the air from the room.

Helmut Zemo was a shadow of the man Tony knew. He was a ghost; his skin was pale and waxy. He had lost so much weight he looked to be nothing more than a skeleton beneath the straight jacket. He was too weak to stand alone and two armed guards had to hold him up and lead him to the next holding cell. He was nothing more than an animal being lead to the slaughter. What bothered Tony the most was the man’s eyes. They were dead. Empty. Vacant. He didn’t seem to be seeing anything in front of him. He should be in the med bay, not being held on trial he was clearly unable to understand in his current state.

Tony pushed away from Ross’ men. Someone made a move to stop him, only for Rumlow to stop them with a firm hand. No one was allowed to touch a guide, especially not a guide attempting to help a distressed sentinel.

For the first time in months, Tony was glad he wasn’t bonded. He was in the unique position of being the only one able to help Zemo. With a bond firmly in place, a guide was rendered unable to help another sentinel. Their bonded could go feral at the thought of the guide with another. Why Tony wanted to help Zemo, he couldn’t be sure, but the voice in his head telling him it was his duty sounded dangerously like Charles. 

Tony dropped to his knees in front of Zemo, his mind focused on the sentinel in front of him. Tony forced his mind clear, shutting everything else out, and allowed Zemo’s emotions to roll over him. All Tony could feel was Zemo’s pain. It was chaos. Wave after wave assaulted Tony’s senses, almost overwhelming him.

His hands shook as he reached out to Helmut’s face. The skin beneath his fingers was cold as ice, damp, and waxy. It felt as if Zemo was already gone, leaving behind a broken wax shell in his likeness. He may not have been a good man but no one deserved such a fate.

“Helmut? Look at me.”

His voice was firm and commanding, a voice that made men twice his age shake like children during board meetings. His fingers stroked over the prisoners ears with care. Tony Stark was in full guide mode and his mission was clear: pull Zemo back as much as he could.

He continued calling the other man’s name and Zemo was finally able to look at him. His eyes were unfocused and Tony couldn’t be sure if the other man even recognized him. Zemo was clearly running on instinct alone. A guide was calling him and he wasn’t strong enough to resist.

“Stay with me. It will be okay, everything will be okay.” 

Tony moved one of his hands from Zemo’s face slowly and reached for the laces behind his back. The minute the contact was lost Zemo began to panic, his heart rate spiking and a sound of distress came from low in his throat.

“Agent Rollins, a little help here?” Tony called behind him.

The man glanced at his guide for consent before immediately moving. The look spoke volumes of his bond with Rumlow. Tony was happy to see the obviously deep and loving bond in place. He would need strong bases if he had any hope of building up his family again. 

Tony was even more pleased to see that Rollins didn’t let his guard down. He was ready to strike and defend at a moment’s notice. Rollins was prepared to protect his guide from even the smallest of threats, despite knowing Zemo would be unable to make a move.

As predicted, Zemo did nothing more than collapse in Tony’s arms the moment he was freed. He held Tony Stark, a man he was supposed to hate, like he was the only anchor in a raging storm. His entire body shook violently and Tony could feel the sharp bones underneath thin skin. His nose was buried in Tony’s neck, the comforting scent of a guide soothing his nerves.

Tony stopped talking but he didn’t stop the comforting stroke of his fingers nor did he attempt to dislodge Zemo. He payed no mind to the room around him, the blood dripping from his nose or the excruciating pain in his head. Tony cared only for the sentinel in his arms. Zemo’s shaking slowly died down until he went limp against Tony. The billionaire would have laughed at the irony of it all, had the pain not become blinding. This man, a man that has genuine reason to hate him, trusted him more than the Avengers ever did. 

“Helmut? I’m going to get up now.” The grasp on his jacket tightened as another sound of distress echoed against Tony’s collarbone. “I’m not leaving you, I’m taking you with me. I won’t leave you, I promise, but you need to come with me. You’ll be safe.” His forced the comforting tone back into his voice and Zemo complied without resistance. 

Soon enough Tony was on his feet, Zemo wrapped around him tightly. He didn't need to watch to know that Rollins and Rumlow were following close behind. Asking for the other guide help was out of question, even if Tony desperately wanted it. With Zemo so out of his mind the presence of another person would be disastrous. Not to mention that with Jack so on edge, he could go feral at any moment and Tony didn't want to push his luck. So all he did was to push through, as always, cursing as his ribs screamed in pain when he swept Zemo into a bridal hold and carried him away from the trial. The fear and anger of the people around him stabbed into his head, assaulting his already worn senses. 

 

*** 

Steve couldn’t believe his eyes. Brock Rumlow and Jack Rollins. How could it be? Steve struggled to swallow the coffee he had bene drinking and was left shaking and gasping for air; the coffee spilled across the floor and his once white shirt. Rumlow was supposed to be dead, Rollins as well. Sharon had shot Rollins in the head. Steve had killed Crossbones himself in the incident in Lagos.

“What the hell is going on? What is Stark up to now?”

Of course, everyone’s first thought was to blame Tony. Steve wasn’t sure who had spoken first, probably Clint. Steve struggled to wrap his mind around what he was seeing when the sound of Natasha’s scream broke his train of thought.

Clint was on the ground, shell-shocked. His eyes were unfocused and the archer didn’t even seem to be breathing. Sam was holding Natasha in his arms but didn’t make a move to help Clint. The reason was clear, clicking into place like a stubborn puzzle piece.

“You’re bonded? How? When?”

“Not now, Cap.” Sam gave a stern response. 

Clint had been curious. He wanted to see what the trial would be like, what happened when real criminals faced the Accords. He was certain Zemo would receive a proper trial and be sentenced to prison for life or put to death. The UN needed to show they were in charge and ready to punish people that broke their new rules, of course. People like Zemo needed to face justice, but Clint knew it was unlikely to be that simple. He had worked for a secret agency most of his life, he knew how these things usually went. They would show Zemo mercy, making themselves look to be better than people like him.

Clint was ready to scream at everything, particularly at Tony. He couldn’t forgive the man for what he had done. He had willingly and knowingly attempted to lock Wanda in the tower against her wishes. She was just a kid trying to do the right thing and Tony had grounded her to her room like a child. Clint was angry for Wanda and for himself, for the Raft, the Accords, and everything else Tony had done. Clint clung to that anger, afraid of what he would see if he stopped long enough to look at what he had done to make things worse.

The trail would be a good source to fuel the fire, Clint had been sure of that. Instead he found a broken sentinel and a guide desperate to do anything to help. He feel to his knees, mid going back to New York, after Natasha had taken him back. He was back to being a sentinel responsible for getting his guide killed. In Clint’s mind, Tony wasn’t on his knees in front of Zemo but in front of Clint, speaking to his so gently. It was Tony’s voice that had called Clint back from the brink.

Tony Stark had helped save his life. He had been the guide constantly at Clint’s side, day and night for months. He had stayed with Clint every moment until he was sure Clint wouldn’t kill himself in his grief. How could he forget everything Tony had done for him?

As soon as Steve had called, he went running to a fight. He didn’t stop to think if Tony had reason for signing the Accords. All he could think about was Wanda and the promise he had made to Pietro. Steve needed him. Steve was a sentinel that wanted to protect his family and his brother. 

Steve was Captain America and Captain America never built an AI dead set on destroying the Earth. So Clint ran and he didn’t know if he had been right when he fought against the man who had given him a place to call home. Tony hadn’t cared if they were broken because he was broken, too, and he knew that society would always look at them in fear and disgust. The whole world looked at them and only saw their broken pieces but not Tony Stark. Tony wore his broken pieces for all the world to see and still no one noticed. No one saw how they hurt Tony. No one helped Tony with his PTSD because he was a civilian and PTSD was something only soldiers faced. 

“What have we done Nat? What have we done?”

 

Every public building and office were required by law to have a room designated for calming distressed sentinels. It was this very form of room that Tony was taking Zemo. With his mind a bit clearer, Tony became aware of Ross screaming at him to come back. He could hear T’Challa’s voice threatening the man and his entire branch of severe repercussion for the event in the court room. Behind him he knew Rollins and Rumlow was taking care of security. Tony could only hope Ross’ men weren’t stupid enough to attack now.

Usually safe rooms were painted with a warm and relaxing colour, this room being in many shades of a relaxing chestnut. Tony gently placed Zemo on the soft bed and gave a sad smile as the man curled in a loose ball. He would still need to be restrained, for his own safety, but for now Tony was content with the man being able to rest.

Tony carefully moved about the room in search of items to help soother Zemo. He was sure to move quietly so as not to make too much noise. He wanted to keep Zemo relaxed until Erik would arrive. He was sure the Alpha Sentinel was already on his way but Tony still wished he would hurry up.

The first thing tony did was plug in the white noise maker. Tony hoped to ease Zemo’s overstressed hearing long enough to begin working with his other senses. When the machine hummed to life Tony turned to focus of Zemo’s sense of smell. There was a wax burner on the bedside table that Tony filled with a lavender wax, a sent often used for its calming effects. Now all he would do was lay Zemo in a comfortable position and apply the cuffs so he couldn’t hurt himself. They were padded, made to prevent the sentinels from breaking free without causing more pain. When he finished, Tony glanced at Zemo in surprise to find him staring back.

“Why? Why you?”

“Because no deserves what happened to you. Because what happened to you is my fault and this was the least I could do.”

“You’re not. You’re not supposed to be a good man, Tony Stark.”

“I’m not a good man. I’m a good guide.”

He left the room and it occupant and took a deep breathe, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. The room was locked with a passcode, intended to keep anyone not welcome from getting in while it was still in use. Tony was the only one with its current passcode, so he could rest assured that Zemo would remain undisturbed. It was only after this that he noticed the trail of blood through the otherwise immaculate corridor.

Brock passed him a tissue which Tony refused to take. “Listen, I know you don’t like being handed things but you’re bleeding all over the placed. So, unless you want me to press it under your nose, take the damn thing and clean up.”

Brock spoke like a solider used to having his orders followed. Tony would give anything to see the look on Steve’s face when he was placed on the wrong side of that voice. Tony took the tissue only because he refused to have another person blow his nose for him. 

Before Tony could think of a way to invite him and Rollins to the tower for business, Ross’ unpleasant voice reached them. The two former agents were ready in an instance, standing in front of Tony and poised to attack and defend. 

“Stark! How dare you…”

The growl that came from Tony was the only warning Everett Ross was given before he was violently thrown against a wall, a very pissed off guide looming in his face.

“Mark my words, I will throw your dumbass to the Council. You will be out of a job and locked in a prison cell forever before they are done with you. That’s a promise, Ross.”

No one made a move to stop Stark. Brock and Jack watched the scene with matching smirks. It looked like they had found a new job and a new leader.


	4. Chapter 4

When all was said, and done, Tony stepped out to find not only T’Challa waiting for him but also Jack and Brock. Someone, most likely the young Wakandian king, had managed to get rid of the press. Tony was grateful as he probably wouldn’t have been able to handle the added mental pressure.  Happy was forcibly creating a path for them, pushing away anyone stupid enough to challenge him to get closer to Tony Stark with unwelcome and senseless questions.

Tony understood he would have to answers those questions, most likely sooner rather than later.  People -probably both Ross and some choice politicians- would demand he tell them how he could calm a mind so broken and Tony wasn’t too eager to explain himself.

Calls needed to be made, but for now all Tony wanted to do was get in the car and go home, where he could hide in peace.  Exhaustion was quickly overcoming him and he would be damned if he would show such weakness in front of the world’s media. Tony once again found himself thanking God for Happy. The driver turned bodyguard turned friend didn’t comment on Tony’s bleeding nose, simple ushering Tony into the car.

Only when the four men were safely seat belted in, safe from the noise behind bullet proof glass and steel, did Tony finally relax. He could still feel Zemo’s mind stroking at his own, far too close, too damaged, and painfully aware of his oncoming demise. The guide couldn’t stop the deep shiver that wracked his frame. Tony didn’t know how long he could have dealt with so many emotions assaulting his senses before he lost his mind.

Tony tuned back into the scene in the car and became acutely aware of the tension between the other 3 men. Everyone was staring at him; T’Challa with a face full of concern and both Brock and Jack with curiosity.  Tony was sure that none of them recognized the public persona he had put on for the press since he was a child was the same man that sat in the car with them. They were looking at the real Tony for the first time- a guide who learned everything from his mother. They got a glimpse of the child who had lost everything because of the Winter Solider.  They saw the man destroyed and betrayed by so many but still managed to wear his scars on his sleeve with pride. He was alive and still fighting, a luxury not many of his enemies still had.  There would be questions, Tony knew that. He simply wasn’t ready to answer them yet. He was too tired to even think about being careful with his tongue.

“Tony, what you did was very impressive. Not many guides could handle a sentinel so far gone.”

Tony could have kissed the young king -bless his purring soul- for breaking the heavy silence.

“Yes, very impressive, Stark, but I have to ask. Why did the hell did you risk your mind for someone who’d love nothing more than to dance across your grave?” Brock Rumlow was a sarcastic and curt ass. Tony loved him already.

Tony’s mind worked on autopilot, searching or the easiest answer, a well-used half lie that would, hopefully, keep T’Challa from getting to close to the truth.

“I am an unbonded guide. I only did what I thought was the right thing to do.”

“Oh, fuck that. You sound just like Rogers. Please tell me you’re not that big a pain in the ass or I am going to jump out of this moving car.” It was clear Brock had issues with Captain America from their time working together and had only been perpetuated by the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. Tony wondered how deep those issues really ran; what happened between them?

“Please. I am way too cool to be compared to Rogers. I’m a billionaire, which makes me eccentric. He’s just an asshole.”

This time the following silence was comfortable. Tony took the time to really watch the people around him. Could they be the base of a new team? Could he dare hope for more? He wasn’t sure, but watching Jack and Brock was like a breath of fresh air after too much time in the cave in Afghanistan. What they had together was beautiful. Their intertwined fingers, the way Jack looked at his guide like he had hung every celestial being in the sky and the protective air that radiated between the two of them was something Tony rarely saw in his life.  What they shared was similar to what Maria had felt for her husband, but strangely, the thought didn’t ache as much. It only brought a smile full of regret and longing to his lips.

“So, where are we going exactly?”

Tony smirked at Jack’s question. It was good to see a sentinel’s instincts at their best. The tall man needed to know that his guide was safe. The need to keep that other person safe was more than he had ever seen in the Avengers. If he wanted to rebuild them and give back the Earth’s only hope against alien menaces, trust would have to be the most important thing.

“Well, you know, people would claim I have the self-preservation instincts of a baby panda -and God knows he made a mistake with them- so I’m taking you to my tower to offer you a job and a place to stay. Honestly, your skills are wasted on a man who will lose everything in a matter of hours. You’ll have a better salary and benefits plan. Stark Industries has a killer retirement plan and let’s not get started on dental. Paternity leave is also a thing? Best of all, you get to see Roger’s expression when he sees you. I know there’s a story there and I’m dying to hear it.”

Jack was looking at him with wide eyes, his lips creased in a fine and pale line from the effort it took not to open them.

“What?” Tony asked, confused.

‘Do you always talk this much?” Brock asked while attempting to soothe his shocked husband. Jack wasn’t used to so many words. He was a man of reserved nature and almost shy when not on the field. Someone like Tony was probably too much for the poor man. Brock’s returning question only garnered a chocked laugh from T’Challa and Happy.

“If you think this is Tony talking too much, you are in for a hell of a surprise.”

While so relaxed, T’Challa’s accent was heavy. The man’s diction showed all the years he had spent studying at Oxford.

Tony returned the comment with a mock hurt expression, his hands grabbing his chest. He looked more like a kicked puppy then a super-hero. Those expressive eyes had been used more than once to make people feel guilty enough to double their donations to the charities Stark sponsored.

“See? See what I have to deal with every day?” He asked Brock, expression pleading.

“And you Kitten!” he exclaimed, turning his attention to T’Challa, “How could you be so mean? I thought you liked me.”

‘I do like you Tony. I simple spoke the truth.” Suddenly the atmosphere in the car shifted to something more serious. The playful tone in Tony’s voice vanished and he stared at the young king as if he had grown a second head.

“It’s the truth, Tony. Too many things happened and I don’t know what I did to warrant your trust but I speak the truth when I say I like you. I want to help you make this world a better place.”

“You are a strange man with even stranger forms of expression.”

“What I did was something that needed to be done. What I’m doing here and now is the right thing. Just because I gave them shelter doesn’t mean I agree with what they represent. I only think it’s better to keep them in one place, so we’ll know what they’re doing and how as opposed to having them lose.”

Tony didn’t have anything to object to those words. It was time to focus on the more serious matters at hand. Jack and Brock were lost and confused. Tony could feel the tension rising again. It wasn’t a good idea to stress out a bonded pair so well trained. Thank god Happy could lead them home. The tower was in front of them and Tony relaxed further. Home was the one place he knew he was safe, even if only because of the huge surprise waiting for him inside.

 

***

Wakanda was beautiful but Wanda couldn’t help but feel like it was more of a prison. The people looked at her in fear – she saw children hide behind their mothers when she walked past-  even the Dora Milaje looked at her with disgust.

“Akania lost her twin brothers in Lagos.” Princess Shuri was the embodiment of everything a warrior was supposed to be and more. She was as elegant as she was lethal - like Natasha in many ways - but she was also an accomplished business woman and politician like her brother. The young Sakovian could see similarities between the princess and Pepper Potts and even what Natasha could have been had she not entered the Red Room.

“I know you can understand why she hates you. She would love to kill you, here and now, to give her twin brother the peace he deserves. He was a man of peace. When Akania took the path of the warriors of our people he fought her with everything he could muster. She’s stubborn and in the end, he had to let her go. He never stopped worrying about her; he feared losing half of his soul to battle.”

Wanda was ready to interject when Shuri’s cold dark eyes pined her in place.

“Don’t bother telling me that you know what it means. I know you lost your twin, but you are nothing like Akania. You took him on a path that destroyed him. You were so blinded by hate that you never realized what could happen to him. We know you’re to blame for the creation of Ultron as much as Stark. You invaded his mind, pushed him to his limits using his fears to force his hand. Maybe if the man wasn’t so damaged already he could have resisted your powers. It's time you realize that your actions have consequences. This time, someone else paid the prices for your mistakes.

***

The tower is exactly like Rogers described it, but unlike him Jack and Brock loved how modern it felt. The walls were open and welcoming, each shiny surface a breath of fresh air. The only disappointment they had was that no one greeted them at the door. There was no disembodied voice echoing form the ceiling. Of course, they knew Ultron had killed Jarvis, Tony’s AI. Every agent still on the S.H.I.E.L.D. pay roll knew that, but they also knew Tony had built himself a new AI. His little girl that he protected like his own flesh and blood. They would have loved to meet her.

“Baby, you can speak now.”

How strange. They didn’t know an AI could be shy.

“Sooner or later people are going to learn you’re back. At least for now we’re among friends. You can trust them.”

What happened next was surreal. Tony spoke with the same worried voice of a father when showing his new born child the world for the first time - like he wanted to protect it from the darkness around the corner where people were ready to do anything for power- and a voice responded with a protective firm voice.

“Welcome back, Sir. I Suggest you take a shower and I will send your suit for dry cleaning. Welcome to you as well, Master Tony’s guests. I am JARVIS, Sir’s artificial intelligence. I am an integrated service system capable of advance GPS tracking and weapon controls. There is nowhere that my systems are incapable of finding, given time.”

The threat in the AI’s voice was clear. No one would be allowed to hurt its creator. After the first few moments of shocked silence-to which only Happy didn’t react- T’Challa, used to facing extreme situations, was the first to speak.

“Hello JARVIS. It’s a pleasure and honor to meet you.”

“Welcome, Your majesty.”

“Tony, your creation is truly amazing.”

The genius couldn’t stop the fond smile that crossed his face. His love for JARVIS and the relief of having the AI back clear.

“JARVIS is his own creation. He rebooted himself even after I thought he was gone forever. He came back to me one his own and decided his first duty was to make sure I’m safe in my own home.”

“Someone has to, Sir. It’s clear from what happened lately that you gave your trust to unworthy people. It’s my duty to makes sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Before Tony had time to say something, Rumlow broke his astonished silence.

“Hell yes. It’s good to know that someone finally saw Roger’s true colors. He was too good to be real. You have my help JARVIS, whatever you need to take him off his high pedestal, I’m game.”

“Wow. This is real loathing. You must give me the story behind it. JARVIS, dear, please record Brock’s story and place it into a new folder.”

“What should it be titled, sir?”

“Future Blackmail.”

Everyone in the room was relieved not to be on Tony and JARVIS’ black list. The young king was the only one with doubts.

***

Steve arrived just as a thin red mist began to coat Wanda’s fingers. Her eyes glowed a brilliant scarlet and she looked every ounce the weapon people feared her to be. They were right to be terrified of her. She lacked proper control and was moved by hate and sorrow. Shuri seemed to be unphased by her opponent. She was smirking confidently and the coldness of her gaze reminded Steve of the ice.

He readied himself to step between the two women, to take the brunt of Wanda’s violence if it saved the life of the princess, when he froze in place at her words.

“Oh yes, show me how right they have been about you all along. Show me how you only solve problems with more violence. You’re a poor excuse for a woman and a sentinel. If you think, for even a moment, that you can defeat me and live, you are sadly mistaken.”

Steve turned to see what Shuri meant. What had looked like simple shadows to onlookers turned out to be warriors. They surrounded the group, stances ready to protect the Princess and to destroy Wanda.

A long time ago, when SHEILD was still standing and Steve still had faith in the Government, he had read the files about the end of the Black Widow program. The Red Room had decided to invade Wakanda for the vibranium they protected. It was said in those files that the Dora Milaje faced them and wiped them form existence. An entire army of perfectly trained assassins destroyed in one battle. They had been no match for the Wakandian warriors. Now, the same warriors were ready to destroy a member of his team. Steve refused to let that happen. Wanda was just a child. She didn’t deserve to be punished or something she couldn’t control. It wasn’t her fault people feared her. It wasn’t her fault they only saw the worst in her, because… because…

“Rogers, do you even know why everyone fears her so much?”

The leader of the Dora Melaje, a tall and intimidating woman, was standing by his side. Her spear was poised for attack but Steve didn’t know who would be her first target, Wanda or himself.

“You should stop the princess from killing her.”

The shock was clear on his face. His features turned as pale as the moonlight and he could only stare at the woman. The bright smile on her face reminded Steve of a shark.

“Don’t doubt that she could kill your friend. She will if she is a threat to Wakanda. Sadly, she has already decided you are not worth our protection.”

“Then why are we here?”

“Because she is not Queen. Many believe she should rule, just to see you thrown to the people you wronged.”

She melted back into the shadows with all the grace of a wild cat and left Steve wondering if she had been there at all.

“Your highness, is there something I can do for you?” Steve used his commander voice, the same voice that put even the higher ranks on edge. Shuri turned to look at him with a brilliant grin and Steve realized she was only humoring him.

“Oh, yes you could. You could look up the world accountability in the dictionary and explain it to your team. I recommend you start with Miss Maximoff, here.”

She walked away, every step filled with the self-assurance of a queen, leaving Steve and Wanda with nothing but regret.

***

The four men were seated across two couches. They furniture was big enough to fit everyone and not be cramped, but Tony know that Brock needed distance. It was rare for a guide to feel threatened by others of their kind - that was the biggest difference between guides and sentinels - still it was clear the day had been tiring and Tony preferred not to stress out the bonded pair more than necessary.

“I know I asked for the whole story, but I am not a patient person and the curiosity is eating me alive.” Jack snorted, but his eyes were kind and there was a ghost of a smile on his lips. Toy counted it as a victory and the noise was more show than genuine annoyance.

“So, I have a question for you. How could dear old Nicky ever be stupid enough to put you in a position of power over his golden boy?”

A mated and boned pair always held more power in a ground than a single sentinel. The bond gave the other sentinels a sense of balance and the guides were natural leader. Brock's nature alone outranked Steve but with a sentinel by his side Rogers wouldn’t have room to open his mouth. Tony could understand why Nick would allow them to be the leaders of the Strike Alpha Team.

“He wasn’t aware we could bond.”

Just a few words but their meaning weighed on all of them.

“Both Jack and I were diagnosed with sever bonding issues. Everyone was sure I couldn’t be an anchor.”

“The S.H.I.E.L.D. doctors were sure that because of my lack of training I couldn’t reach out for a guide.” Jack didn’t add any information and it was clear by the way he curled against his guide that he wasn’t willing to share.

“My mother was the only guide in my family. When I was a child I saw her kill my father.” Time seemed to stand still as the guides looked at Brock with horror.

“She was a solider and had just come back from a mission in the Middle East. She was diagnosed with PTSD but the doctors were sure with her sentinel and her son she would have been fine. They thought we could give her back the balance she lost.”

“Her sentinel wasn’t with her?” It was dangerous to split a bonded pair, especially in a stressful situation. Stress effected sentinels more than it did guides on average but it wasn’t a good enough reason to take the risk. Bonded pairs were kept together,

“My father didn’t have enough clearance and someone thought the mission was more important than waiting for a bonded pair that could handle it. Long story short, she wasn’t the same when she came back. She woke up in the middle of the night, screaming at my father. She called him a terrorist, grabbed her gun, and shot him. Twice. I still think it’s the loss of the bond that shook her. She came back to herself after, just long enough to put the gun in her mouth.”

T’Challa and Tony were pale as ghosts, both visibly shaking. They looked ready to throw up and only their iron will kept them from falling apart on Brock’s behalf.

“After that, I always scored functional but unable to form bonds. My mentors claimed that it was the guide in me I couldn’t trust, but with the right sentinel I could overcome the block my mind put around itself for protection. The doctors in the army and later S.H.IE.L.D .didn’t agree. They listed me too broken to bond in this lifetime. That’s how I ended up in a team with Rogers and another unbonded sentinel. Fury thought it was safe to put me there.”

Now Tony always knew that Fury was a lot dumber than people thought but this was bordering on insanity. That didn’t mean that he wouldn’t pay his weight in gold to see Nick’s face when he learned of Brock and Jack’s bond.

“In his defense - yes, JARVIS, sign it under sarcasm - I think he was lured into that decision by the knowledge that Rogers can only bond with an Alpha Guide because of the serum and everything indicated Jack would always be unable to bond.”

Tony had known the truth about Rogers for a very long time. He had known since the day he put his hands on the files from project Rebirth and what really happened to the shrimp Steve Grant Rogers. To hear someone else say it was like a punch to the gut.

Tony had watched Steve slowly fall apart. In the beginning, he thought it was only because Rogers couldn’t learn how to live in this strange new world. With time, he had learned the length of his mistakes. Steve Rogers was beginning to feel and show side effects of the serum. Steve could go on without a guide for much longer than the average sentinel because of the serum, but now, because he spent so much time alone, he could only hope to meet an alpha guide able to balance him out. Sadly, not every alpha guide was strong enough to balance an enhanced being. Tony cursed fate - he cursed a sick boy who only wanted to serve his country and became too stubborn and blinded by power to think he was the only one capable of making this world a better place. He cursed Howard and his desperate need to find Steve, to make more men like him. He cursed the world that put Rogers in a position he couldn’t handle alone anymore. Mostly, he cursed himself because he didn’t know how to reach for him. Even now, even with the weight of Steve’s lies over his shoulders and the ghost feeling of his shield crushing his chest, Tony couldn’t stop thinking about him. How to help him survive.

“Are you okay?” T’Challa spoke with a gentle voice, like he was afraid to spook the distressed guide.

“Yes, yes I am. Brock, keep going.” The smile Tony gave T’Challa was tired and empty but it was the best he could do.

“S.H.I.E.L.D. thought he was damaged too?” T’Challa had wondered how a top-secret organization could so easily be infiltrated by H.Y.D.R.A. Now he could understand why Romanoff and Barton had been so eager to leave S.H.I.E.L.D. and join Rogers’ team.

“Jack didn’t have any formal training. He lived on the street until he was old enough to sign up for the army. At that point, they had decided he was too old to waste time on education. He was listed as a non-dynamical and sent out as cannon fodder. He’s a stubborn son of a bitch though,” Brock added fondly “and he kept coming back alive. S.H.I.E.L.D. got its grubby hands on him after he got left behind, wounded, since no one was waiting for him back home.”

Tony’s blood was boiling.

“JARVIS, I want the names of every man that ever worked with Jack Rollins. Every man that sold him out, sacrificed him. I want their names and resignation letters on my desk at SI yesterday.”

Jack’s hackles rose. Only one man could take care of him. Brock never asked for anything in return. Anyone else always wanted something from him and Tony Stark always got what he wanted.

“I don’t need your pity, Stark!”

Tony wasn’t surprised by the reaction. He was the poster boy for trust issues and Jack showed all the same symptoms.

“It’s not pity, it’s my need to be a controlling ass. God only knows how many times I was accused of being a control freak, to be led by only my own fears. I can’t allow someone like those bastards keep working with unbonded sentinels and guides if they think it’s okay to throw them to the wolves. Every time I think they can’t piss me off anymore, they find a new and more creative way, and frankly, I’m tired. The army is better off without them.”

“I have my guide now and I don’t give a fuck about anything or anyone else.”

“I love the attitude, but mine isn’t pity, Jack. Pity is for the weak, and believe me, I have people I pity, here and in kittyland. You’re not one of them. You’re a survivor, stronger because of what happened to you and a man with amazing skills. You’re capable of facing the Black Widow and calling her games. I don’t see any reason why I should pity you. You don’t deserve it.”

Having Brock and Jack there, having Happy back and even T’Challa by his side now, was a sign. Maybe he could really begin to rebuild the family he lost. A new one, different and based on stronger foundations. He was so tired of the silence, so tired of how empty the tower could be after sharing it with Thor and his never-ending enthusiasm. Bruce and his noisy science experiments. Those times had passed and they were never coming back. Tony was done being a scapegoat for every single mistake ever made by the ex-Avengers. It was time for him to change the rules. If others couldn’t abide by them, too bad.

“Excuse me, Commander, if you don’t mind me asking, what made two people incapable of bonding reach for each other?”

T’Challa was a god send in Tony’s view. Oh, he was still pissed the king was sheltering the former Avengers after his support of the Accords. He was still pissed he took Rogers and Barnes in when the first should be put on trial and the second should be followed by good psychiatrists, but Tony could appreciate his diplomacy and how good he was at sudden changes in subject.

If Rogers really thought that taking shelter in Wakanda was a good idea, a way to put distance between him and the politicians, he was in for a rude awakening. T’Challa was every inch the politician his father had raised and sooner or later he would show them. Tony wished he could see the show. For now, his attention remained on Brock and his story.

“It was during a mission, a shitty one that went south almost immediately.”

 

***

Steve wasn’t fast enough to catch Wanda when she fell. The mist surrounded her body and the former Captain didn’t know what to do. He only managed to kneel just out of her powers reach. He hated himself for it but he feared what she could do with the powers Hydra gave her. He remembered the feeling of her invasion, the violation of his mind. He tried not to think about those things, about his past, but the fear lingered.

“Wanda?”

“He did it. He did it. Stark made Ultron. Stark killed Pietro. He killed my brother.”

Steve didn’t know what to say. Wanda’s words sounded more like a way to convince herself than him.

“He created that monster.”

 _Yes, but now I wonder if Ultron was only Tony’s invention. What did you show him Wanda? What had him so scared that he would create something so powerful?_ Steve had his doubts and questions, things he should have asked a long time ago, before the Civil War. She had violated them all. He called her a kid and gave her a place to stay under the same roof as the man she hated. Steve let her live with the same man that feared her most. Was he right? Had Tony been right about Wanda, about not trusting her? Steve doubted his actions. He would never regret fighting for Bucky, but the price had been so high he couldn’t help but wonder if it was worth it.

“He did this to us. The world hates and fears us and it’s all because of him. I want to kill him. I need to kill him so that my brother can rest in peace.”

For the first time since Steve took Wanda in, he was horrified by the young woman in front of him. He had freed her thinking Tony was keeping her prisoner for his own gain, but Steve finally saw the truth. He saw what the genius always knew, what he tried to make them see and understand.

Wanda was dangerous. Wanda needed guidance and a way to really learn to control her powers. Mow it was hate controlling her and she was hell bent on destroying Tony, because Tony was the only one who saw behind the mask of a vulnerable young girl.

_Didn’t Tony lose everything too? So why couldn’t you show him an ounce of mercy? You knew Bucky, the Winter Solider, took his parents from him. You knew that Maria had been the only good thing in his life and you never tried to understand what losing her felt like. You looked at a young woman, older than Tony when he lost everything, who gave herself to Hydra and you saw Bucky. You felt this need to protect her, but you couldn’t grant Tony the same grace? Why, Captain?_

Steve wanted to scream. The voice in his head sounded like Doctor Herskin. He promised he would be what Doctor Herskin had seen in him. Not a great solider, but a good man. Steve hadn’t realized he’d failed with Tony. He never trusted the man, his teammate, the one who showed him the future, He couldn’t trust him because trusting Tony Stark would have meant giving up on his past.

If he allowed Tony to really explain the future, the past would be forgotten and Steve wasn’t strong enough to let it go. The disappointment in the Doctor’s voice cut like a knife. He never forgave Tony for his mistakes, not even when the man bore them on his sleeve and lived his life trying to make up for them. He never forgave Tony for his mistakes because he couldn’t face his own and he hated the genius for it. He hated Tony for being better than him.

“We all did this to ourselves, Wanda. You can’t blame Tony for everything. Maybe it’s time we own up to what we did.”

“How can you justify what he did? You’re in exile, ruined because of him, and you still want to give him excuses?”

“We made our own choices. He didn’t force this on us. He didn’t force us to break the law, we did. We can blame him all we want, but it was our actions that wound us up here.”

Why couldn’t he see that before he blamed everything on Tony? Had he ever been a good leader? Was it only luck that got him through the war? Was his charisma the only reason why people chose to follow him?

“He did this to us. I will make him pay for this, for everything he ever did.”

“Then you’ll be alone, Wanda. I won’t stand for you in this. Tony is guilty of many things and he knows that, but he won’t be blamed for something he didn’t do.”

Steve turned and walked away, head full of questions only Tony could answer - and Tony was so far away, out of reach like he never was before - Steve never saw the red mist turn to something ugly, winding its way around Wanda’s heart.

 

***

“We were in East Europe and our intel was shit. Our connection was corrupted, lost about 6 clicks back, and he fed us false information. So, long story short, soon as we landed in Poland we lost contact with S.H.I.E.L.D. and we were alone in enemy territory.”

Jack scooted closer to Brock, a subtle hint of how bad the story was going to get.

 

“ _The Black Widow was with us, but as usual she got a collateral mission from Fury - something I wasn’t made aware of even though I was team leader - so she disappeared as soon as we landed and she wasn’t there when the gun fire started.”_

_January was a terrible time to be in Poland, especially if you weren’t used to the extreme cold. He wasn’t sure why he cared so much for Jack, but since the moment they met, Brock felt like it was his duty to make sure the new agent was safe. In the beginning, it was mostly because he was the leader, no matter how much Fury hated it. It was clear that the director would give anything for Rogers to hold that title. It wasn’t a mystery how Rogers got so far in the field, and it wasn’t on his merits. He was practically untrained._

_So, there they were: cold, hungry, and alone, half their team gone because of shit intel and the Widow lost to the wind. Brock had bigger things to worry about and couldn’t waste his time on her. Even with Jack by his side, he was barely keeping the mission together._

_Of course, that was when everything decided to go to hell._

_People came in, guns blazing. The safe house wasn’t as safe as they were lead to believe - thanks no doubt to Fury - and the command had too many members for Jack and Brock alone. The only thing they could do was surrender and find a way to escape. It was against S.H.I.E.L.D.’s regulations, but Brock couldn’t give a damn about Fury or his rules. He needed to get his men home. Brock readied himself to give the order when a scream echoed from his right._

_Jack was on the ground, blood pouring form a gunshot to his left shoulder, perilously close to his chest. Brock knew without medical treatment, a wound like that was lethal._

“ _He needs a medic. Now!”_

_Of course, their attacks didn’t care. The leader, however, seemed to realize that saving the man was the only way to ensure their co-operation._

“ _Czy on jest twoim strażnikiem?” Someone asked. Brock knew it was his only chance._

“ _Tak, jest.”_

_The man screamed something too quickly for Brock to understand. He was far too busy applying pressure to Jack’s wound when suddenly they were hauled into a van._

_The stink of blood clung to the walls, overwhelming Brock’s senses. Brock was used to blood, had been since he was a child, and he couldn’t figure out why Jack’s blood had such an effect on him. Why Jack had such an effect on him. His instincts raged without his control. Save him. Save Jack. His mind screamed at him to act. Brock took Jack’s body into his arms -it was like the man didn’t weigh a thing- and carried him to the darkest corner of the room. He kept Jack out of reach, clutching him close like a feral animal. He knew they were being watched, but Brock was sure no one could see what was happening inside._

“ _Brock.”_

_It was just a whisper, but it was enough to push the guide beyond his limits._

“ _I’m here, Jack. I’m here.”_

_It was like a levee had broken open. Brock could feel Jack in his mind. He could feel Jack’s fear, his pain, and the unbearable loneliness the sentinel had suffered. He wanted to scream, to hunt down every one of the fuckers who dared hurt this man. He wanted to protect Jack, needed to take him home and keep anyone from hurting him again._

“ _Guide? My guide?”_

“ _Yours, Jack, always.”_

Tony was shocked, He had heard of bonds forming in desperate situations, but the depth of the one in front of him was astounding. He could see Jack and Brock’s souls melted together as one.

“Oh God. You’re soul-bonded. You gave your energy to Jack to keep him alive.  
It was incredibly rare. Rare and dangerous.”

“Both of you could have died. The bond could have overwhelmed you.”

“I didn’t care then and I don’t care now. I’m glad I bonded with Jack. I will never regret him or the bond we have.”

It was unbelievable what Fury could hide. Fuck, Tony didn’t think it was possible to hate the man more. His obsession with Rogers kept him from seeing what was right under his nose. Jack and Brock were born to be the Guards of the Alpha.

It was something that hadn’t happened in a very long time. Wars had been fought over the title. Sometimes, an Alpha Guide was so lucky to meet a pair born to protect them. He was almost certain Charles and Erik had their own guards, had his theories about Wolverine and Gambit.

“What happened after?”

“I don’t really remember. I know every man in that place was dead long before extraction came. The bodies were cold. I remember screaming and someone opening the door to see the commotion. They thought we were a couple, that I had just lost my sentinel. After that, everything just goes blank.”

“A side effect of a bond so deep forming so quickly. You lost consciousness and became one with his sentinel instincts. You did what he would have done because you had a common goal: keep each other safe. There was nothing they could have done to stop you, Brock. You were the perfect union of the guide’s balance and the sentinel’s fury.”

“Fury couldn’t believe what he saw when we came back. He had us under 24 hour watch the minute we touched down on U.S soil. He had every single doctor on S.H.I.E.L.D.’s payroll poking at us like lab rats. In the end, he couldn’t break us. Fuck, did he try though. He even tried to get the Widow to separate us. She learned a thing or two about ending bonds in the Red Room.”

“She tried to assassinate you.”

“Tried being the operative word. It was the first time she’d failed going against me.”

Tony was shaking. The taste of bile sat heavy on his tongue, sour and acidic.

“She didn’t know you weren’t a simple couple anymore. She thought she could kill you the way she had killed so many guides before you.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re Kedemònes Leré. The Sacred Guardians. She couldn’t touch you. The only way to beat you is to kill you both, together.”

 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit more about Steve and his team... Meanwhile Tony and his new friends face a menace they didn't expect so soon.

“JARVIS, can you tell me how to reach the kitchen?”

 

Jack was beginning to get irritated. He had woken up from a nightmare and, by some miracle, able to persuade Brock to go back to sleep. Now, he’s lost in the tower and on the verge on panicking. Who the hell needs to live in a tower anyway? Who did Tony think he was, a Disney princess? Where are the dragons protecting him?

 

Jack was tired and his instincts were too overwhelmed by the past few days. He just wanted a cup of coffee and some time to get familiar with his surroundings. He needed to make sure his guide was safe here. Instead, he’d gotten lost and couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. He wasn’t supposed to be an empath, but something was gnawing at his stomach and the seansation was far too similar to fear to be good.

 

“Sir, if you would follow the light on the floor, it will lead you to the kitchen.”

 

Was JARVIS worried? There was something off in his voice, something very human sounding in the robotic tone, but that couldn’t be possible. Right? JARVIS was supposed to be a very advanced program, nothing more. At least, that’s what Rogers always said. But, Rogers feared JARVIS, even if he never admitted it. Jack and Brock found it hilarious. America’s Golden Boy, scared of a tiny computer program. They had made sure to spread the rumor around SHIELD and soon everyone was in on the joke. Now, Jack knew it wasn’t a nice thing to do, but Rogers was an ass with anyone that didn’t meet his standard, and back then it had sounded like a harmless joke. Now that Jack had gotten so close to Rogers’ dark side, he wasn’t sure it was such a good idea to push the guy.

 

Finally, after a half an hour spent walking around aimlessly, Jack reached the kitchen. The lights were off and the dark shadows weren’t helping to ease Jack’s nerves. He groped blindly for a light switch, flinching at the sudden bright flash of light. The sudden scream that reached his ears froze the blood in his veins and was immediately followed by the shattering sound of a mug hitting the floor.

 

Jack took a defensive stance, twisting his favourite knife between his fingers. His eyes flew across the room, locking on the surprised face of Tony Stark. Jack blinked, feeling like a giant idiot.

 

“What the hell, Rollins? I have a heart condition, you asshole. Usually people take at least a week before they decide to kill me.” Tony tried sarcasm, but his pupils were dilated and his breathing was heavy. Tony was terrified and Jack could understand why.

 

There, sprawling the expense of his chest, was the proof of what Rogers did to him. The huge bruise covering the entirety of Tony’s ribcage, purple and angry looking, was testament enough of the mighty shield almost cutting Tony in half.

 

“What the fuck is that?” Jack asked with too much rage in his voice. It was getting harder and harder not to snap.

 

“JARVIS, wake Brock up and tell him to get his ass down here.” This was something that needed a guide to deal with. Jack need his guide to keep him balanced. Jack was close to just demanding Rogers’ location and going to kick his spangled ass in person.

 

Brock appeared in the doorway a few moments later. His hair was a mess and he’d forgotten to put on shoes. It was clear he’d jumped out of bed the moment JARVIS had called, worried that something had happened to Jack.

 

His eyes zeroed on Tony’s chest, his face going white as he took in the damage. As if he needed another reason to beat Rogers into the ground. It was a crime to harm a guide like that and Brock was more than happy to be the one to send Rogers’ ass to jail for what he’d done to Tony.

 

“Hey guys?” Tony wasn’t used to being the center of caring attention like that and the angry focus of Brock’s eyes was being to make him twitch.

 

“It’s okay. It doesn’t even hurt anymore.” He said, opening his arms to accentuate his point. It wasn’t a smart move because as soon as he did, a gasp of pain escaped his lips and his face contorted into a full grimace.

 

“Yeah, I can see that.” Jack answered, dry.

***

“Steve, can we talk?”

 

Sam approached the Captain like he would a cornered animal. It was clear Steve wasn’t okay. He was far from okay, and Sam had to wonder if it was because of what happened with Wanda or something bigger. Perhaps it was something Sam couldn’t see.

 

The blonde was a shadow of the man he was in New York. As soon as Barnes went back into the ice, Steve lost all his energy and vitality. The happiness his friend brought back was forgotten and Steve became an empty shell.

 

“Sure. What do you want to talk about?”

 

They had spent the day surfing the net and watching the news. Wakanda was the most technologically advanced country in the world. It was a paradise for people like Tony, who took to wires and binary came as naturally as breathing. It was also a great place for someone to hide from the law. They could use almost anything without fear of being discovered. The only hacker who could possibly break through the defenses was Tony, but it looked like the man wouldn’t even try.

 

That as strange, but that is a worry for another day. For now, Sam had more than his hands full.

 

“You pick. We can talk about what happened today, or we could talk about Bucky and how you feel about his decisions, or we could talk about both.”

 

Steve finally turned to look at him. His blue eyes were dull and their circles around them dark enough to rival Stark’s.

 

“Why does this feel like a session?” he asked.

 

Sam raised his hands in defense. “I come in peace. But maybe, a session is exactly what you need right now. Or at least a chat with a friend.”

 

Steve sighed in defeat. His shoulders sunk and he suddenly seemed smaller than Sam had ever seen him.

 

“I don’t understand, Sam. I thought people would see why I did what I had to do. I thought they were on our side.”

 

Some of them had been. Steve read the messages of the people who thought he’d done the right thing not signing the accords. People thought they were bad news. Some lawyers from New York, a man that looked smart and up to doing some good was on his side, telling anyone that would listen that the Accords were against the United States Constitution. It just wasn’t enough.

 

Steve had been shocked to see the number of everyday people who agreed with the Accords and felt they needed to pass. People who had lost someone in New York or Sokovia, or Washington, demanding to know why Captain America thought he knew better than 117 different countries. All he wanted to do was help people. Steve couldn’t stand to see someone suffering without at least trying to help. The accords would tie their hands and it looked like no one else saw that.

 

“Steve, people are allowed to be scared of what they don’t understand. You know that Natasha and Clint are good people on our side. You know they almost died countless times to protect America and the world, but normal people don’t know who they are. They only saw what happens when we make mistakes.”

 

“And it would be better if we sit and wait for the UN to tell us where to go and who to help?”

 

“I didn’t say that, Steve. I just told you that people are scared and when there is fear, bad things always happen. For example, all those people saw us sowing the finger to the UN, but they don’t know why we did it. They don’t know why we think the Accords are a mistake. I’ve thought about this Steve. At first I wanted to blame Stark. He took the possibility to explain from us, but we made a lot of mistakes. Maybe we should have stayed and tried to have our reasons heard.”

 

“They wanted to lock Bucky up who know where. I couldn’t let that happen, Sam. Bucky was innocent, and there were other threats to world safety. We did what we had to do to protect as many people as possible.”

 

Yes, Sam thought the same. Now he wasn’t so sure anymore. With time to think about the whole mess, he finally understood where both sides were wrong and where they were right.

 

“Steve, all I’m saying here that we should have talked to Tony and his side. We should have tried to solve this between us, without all the violence, as a team. We let Ross and people like him stick their noses in our business and get between us.”

 

“You mean Tony let him stick his nose in Avenger business.”

 

“Maybe at first. But Tony isn’t god. He couldn’t have written the Accords by himself- if he had anything to do with them at all- I don’t think he would have allowed anything to happen. Yes, he should have talked to us before he let Ross into the compound, but we could have done the same. When he came to us at the RAFT, it was clear he wanted to help. It wasn’t a trick. I don’t know what happened in Siberia, but before that he wanted to help us, he still saw us as his team.”

 

“He lost it, Sam. He almost killed Bucky and tore off his arm.” Steve couldn’t tell Sam why. He was a coward, but he still thought Tony over reacted. It wasn’t like he was so close with his parents. He couldn’t even talk about Howard without cursing his name. Steve was sure he did the right thing not opening an old wound, and in exchange Tony attacked Bucky with the sole purpose of killing him. Steve had to protect Bucky and yes, the price was impossibly high, but Steve had never meant to hurt Tony like that. He hadn’t meant to leave him behind or make the genius feel like he didn’t matter. The truth was that between Tony and Bucky, Steve would always pick Bucky. He didn’t know what that made him.

 

“I’m just wondering why he lost it, Steve. We both know Tony had severe and untreated PTSD, maybe something made him snap. But then he goes and calms Zemo in front of the whole world, and Steve, that isn’t a guide that’s lost reason. That’s someone unbelievably strong. So, I’m curious what happened in Siberia. Sue me.”

 

Steve’s mind went back to the court scene. Tony looked good. Sharper and thinner, harder in many ways, but good. Steve needed a few more minutes to focus on him after he saw Rumlow and Rollins. They were supposed to be dead. HYDRA agents Steve made sure to clear off this planet. Rumlow was the reason why Wanda was so hated after Nigeria. But Steve was wrong. Rumlow and Rollins were alive and Steve couldn’t understand how.

 

Tony had been remarkable. The guide had calmed Zemo enough to take back his consciousness. One moment the Sokovia had been like a zombie and then, with Tony’s help, he was brought back to life again.

 

Steve wasn’t very familiar with what a guide could do, but from Sam’s look, it was clear Tony’s actions were not normal. Tony wasn’t a normal guide, but Steve wasn’t very surprised. Tony had always been one to destroy barriers.

 

“Maybe he got lucky?”

 

Sam looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “No, Steve, that’s not luck. That was a guide that knows what he’s doing.”

 

He took a deep breath and looked Steve in the eyes. It was rare for him to be harsh to the captain, but this was important. Probably more important than his tentative bond with Natasha.

 

“Steve, I need you to be honest with me. You didn’t do anything to trigger Stark, right?...”

Steve’s downcast eyes told Sam everything he needed to know.

 

“Fucking hell, Steve. Really? And you let us...”

 

He didn’t finish his sentence. Too angry to stay without saying something he would later regret, he left Steve alone. He knew it was a mistake as a friend and a counselor, but he couldn’t look at him anymore. What hurt the most was that Steve didn’t even try to stop him and explain. Whatever happened in Siberia was eating Steve.

 

Damn it. Stark wasn’t the only one that needed help. Steve needed a specialist, and they were so fucked up they didn’t see it before it was too late. If Steve made a mistake, or more than one, it was their fault. They were supposed to be a team and a team needs to know when it’s leader isn’t okay.

****

Tony was working the Accords were necessary, but also so messed up that any moment he could spare Tony spent his time locked away in his office. He hated paperwork.

 

Lately his mind often went to Agent. The loss of the only man who could handle the band of fucked up idiots that called themselves the Avengers weighed on Tony’s shoulders. He missed the man more than he could ever say.

 

More than once, Tony found himself wondering the Accords could have been avoided, if Agent had been there. Maybe with the older man around, Tony could have been talked out of Ultron. Or Steve could have realized Wanda wasn’t ready for the field.

 

“Stark, you think any louder you’ll scare my thoughts away.” Jack was at the door, a tray in his hands and a look of a man on a mission in his eyes.

 

“What’s that?”

 

“Food.” The sentinel said slowly, like he was speaking to a particularly dense child. Jack couldn’t care less if he was a certified genius. To him, Tony was nothing more than a fussy toddler, and he treated him like one.

 

The smell made Tony’s mouth water. Some kind of pasta for sure, though Tony couldn’t see what kind. The dish was covered.

 

“And why is there food?”

 

“Because you make my guide worry. I’ve gutted people for less, so I decided that because I don’t want to be on JARVIS’ bad side, I’d treat you gently. That’s why youre going to eat like a good little boy. Then you can go back to work. But, if you want my humble opinion, you should let their asses rot wherever they are. New York is safer without them here. Fuck, America is safer. Do I have to remind you of the mess they made in Washington?”

 

“Jack.” It was warning and Jack was smart enough to recognize one when it was directed at him.

 

“Yes, yes. The world will need them soon, blah, blah, blah. Now eat up or I’ll force it into you. You won’t like that much.”

 

“JARVIS would protect me.” Tony said, horrified at the thought of Jack pinning him down and force feeding him.

 

“Actually, Sir, I would ask Mr. Rollins not to harm you, but I would be glad to see someone cares enough to feed you.”

 

“Traitor.”

 

“Duly noted, Sir.” Even his children were made of pure sass. Tony had no one to blame for it but himself.

 

While Jack made place for the tray, a stash of paper was knocked over. Beneath the notes and stacks of nothing important, the phone Steve had given him appeared. The temperature of the room visibly dropped and Jack watched all the blood drain from Tony’s face. His eyes only showed one emotion: pain.

 

“What’s with the historic relic?”

 

For a moment, Tony looked like he’d forgotten Jack was in the room. He quickly snapped back to the present with a grin that was too bright to be real. “I knew it. I knew you were a secret nerd. Does Brock know? Is he one too?”

 

Jack fought the urge to turn and flee. He still wasn’t used to the force of nature that was Tony Stark, but he forced a smile on his face when he saw his chance.

 

“Let’s make a deal, Stark. You eat and I tell you all the embarrassing stories about Brock’s nerdiness.”

 

Now that was something Tony couldn’t pass up, so he agreed to have one meal with Jack. He didn’t realize Jack played dirtier than Nick Fury. He had meant one story for one meal, and Tony fell in the trap. It didn’t matter because Jack was a killer cook. The phone and it’s meaning were soon forgotten.

*****

That evening Sam found Steve in the gardens. The weather in Wakanda was beautiful, and they all enjoyed the opportunity to be outside. After their little stay on the RAFT, it was always good to feel the wind and smell the flowers. The wildlife felt so close. The jungle surrounded the palace, and the view from every room was breathtaking. It was like one could reach out and touch the tress.

 

It was too bad that the beautiful scene couldn’t soothe Sam. Steve looked so lost and alone, even if his family was around him. The loss of Bucky after everything he did to save the other man was an open wound on his soul, one that was going to fester if not properly treated.

 

“Hey man, mind if I sit with you?”

 

Steve’s eyes were red when he looked up at Sam, and the older man’s heart sank to his stomach.

 

“I didn’t think you’d want to see me after this morning.”

 

Sam sat on the bench gracelessly. After a moment of silence, he gently patted the captain’s knee with one hand.

 

“Steve, just because I was pissed doesn’t mean you aren’t my friend anymore. You know that, right?”

 

Steve’s nod was so unsure that Sam felt like cursing. They always seemed to forget how young Steve really was, how little experience of the real world he had. Bucky was his best friend and Steve lost him. Stark had been the closest Steve had to that relationship and now he was gone, too, after the worst break-up in history. It was normal for Steve to have doubts.

 

“Listen, we’re your friends, and we are here for you. You just have to let us. You have to tell us what’s wrong with you so that we can help you.”

 

“I still think I did the right thing, Sam. I still think the Accords are dangerous and the people behind them even more so.

 

Sam took the time to carefully pick over his words before speaking.

 

“I still think you’re right,” he began, “I still would have followed you, but maybe it’s time to think our mistake wasn’t in what we thought about the accords and the politicians behind them. Maybe our mistakes were in how we reacted to them.”

 

Steve sighed deeply. The weight of the world was bearing down on his shoulders but having Sam so close made it feel just a little lighter.

 

“We needed to show them they couldn’t simply present us with a collar and leash and expect us to submit to them. We needed to make them understand that we’re not their puppets, but Sam….”

 

“I know Steve. I know.” The warmth of his hand was comforting and gave Steve an anchor. It was exactly what he needed.

 

Perhaps things could be fixed after all, if everyone was willing to work to make them better. The only problem was that Sam wasn’t sure Stark was on board with that anymore. The man he saw on TV was nothing like the on who had given them a place to call home and this new version was a mystery to Sam. For now, he could only hope, for both his and Steve’s sake, that the man could give them another chance.

*****

The call didn’t come unexpected. Tony didn’t think it would happen so soon, but he wasn’t naïve about it either. He knew since the beginning that Helmut Zemo was fading away and that there was nothing he could do for the man, Still, he thought he’d have a little more time.

 

“Are you sure?” Jack was worried, Tony had learned to recognize the telling signs, like the way his mouth turned into a pale and straight line every time something threated his guide or the life he’d begun to build in the tower.

 

“I owe him this. It was my fault he’d lost everything.”

 

“That’s bullshit. He wasn’t an innocent angel to begin with and Sokovia was a mess that should weigh on all the Avengers’ shoulders, not just yours. Rogers and Maximoff helped to bring chaos and destruction. Barton and Romanoff weren’t too far behind. Why are you the only one paying for that?”

 

That was good question Tony had often wondered about when it got late into the night. It was his duty, wasn’t it? He had to try and make things right again. Sokovia wouldn’t have happened if his bomb hadn’t killed Wanda’s parents. If he had been accountable for his actions as the Merchant of Death, the world wouldn’t hate him so much. To always lose everything he loved was his punishment for his sins.

 

“Because I’m the only one with the means to do it?”

 

Brock snapped. “No, you’re the only one who wants to stick around to see the aftermath. The other bastards all run away when the mission ends and leave you behind to shield their asses.”

 

Tony was shocked by the outburst. Could it be true his teammates – former teammates, a voice that sounded too similar to Howard reminded him – consciously did it all the time. Tony wasn’t sure he wanted to think about it. There were too many things that demanded his attention, and for once, the Avengers weren’t his top priority.

 

“Maybe they do, maybe they don’t. I don’t care right now. I’ll meet Zemo because it’s what I want to do. The man is dying and if he wants to pass away with a guide by his side, I can’t deny his last wish.”

 

When they arrived at the facility, Tony was the only one allowed into Zemo’s’ room and the guide was glad for it. Knowing Jack and Brock were close helped, but not as much as the knowledge that they wouldn’t see the shell Zemo had become.

 

The man was like a pale ghost, still hanging on to life by sheer stubbornness and fear. Guides were supposed to help sentinels pass peacefully. They had the power to give peace to the soul and mind, even if it was the last act of their lives. They would follow their mate, but their passing would be peaceful and gentle.

 

Zemo was alone now, and he didn’t know how to stop his pain. For a moment, he thought of all the sentinel lost during the Civil War, all the women and men left alone in darkness because they were too far from their guides to be comforted and his blood boiled.

 

Tony approached slowly. Outside he was calm and collected, but inside he was shaking. Finding the core of his nature as a guide, the part of him that he’d kept protected for years, was hard. Maria tried to teach a younger and much more open Tony how to use his abilities, but too many years had gone by since he tired. He was out of practice and afraid to fail.

 

“You came.”

 

Zemo’s eyes were unfocused, but he knew a guide was in the room Tony Stark answered his call, proving him wrong once again.

 

“I promised, didn’t I? Can I touch you, Helmut?”

 

It was a request a guide rarely had to make. There were no laws forbidding a guide from helping a sentinel, but Tony had learned the hard way what it meant to be denied the right to choose for yourself. He’d never do that to another human being. Zemo simply nodded, too tired to do much more.

 

The moment Tony’s fingers touched his forehead, Zemo’s eyes filled with tears. The pain was so unshielded and raw that Tony almost caved under the pressure. He gently stroked the cold and clammy skin. There, under the layers of pain, rage, and hate, was Zemo’s core. His energy was nearly gone, a dull bundle of greyish light growing weaker and weaker with every passing moment. The decayed and rotten threads were all that remained of his guide. It looked like an open wound, oozing and festering. Zemo’s soul was bleeding out, killing the man slowly and agonizingly.

 

It was a first for Tony. Maria told him of the possibility of assisting a dying Sentinel, but he never imagined it would be like this. He never imagined the sentinel would hate him either, but all Tony could really feel was a melancholy for the loss of life.

 

It didn’t matter who Zemo was or what he did. He was alone and scared and he wasn’t supposed to die so young. There was so much potential in him and everything would vanish in a matter of hours.

 

“What can I do for you?” Tony asked, voice broken with tears and sorrow. His pain was real and intense – without pity.

 

“I want to die close to them.” Zemo responded weakly. He knew it was impossible, but ti was his last wish. The last thing he really wanted was to lie down with his family and hope they would accept him after everything he’d done.

 

“They won’t let you go.” Of course, they wouldn’t. It was out of the questions. Tony knew the protocol and he knew Zemo would more than likely die on the plane before they even reached Europe. Fortunately, Tony had something no one else did. The Iron Man suit could be used for giving peace for once, Tony was all for trying.

 

“I hope you know we’re going to be braking about a hundred international laws, Helmut. You should be proud.”

 

Before the other man could ask what he meant, Tony had Zemo in his arms, bridal style, and his body was already covered in the armor. He didn’t scream as Tony took off, really. It was more of an expression of shock, cleanly covered by the cries of the doctors and security officers watching, powerless, as Tony Stark kidnapped the sentinel from their care.

 

Sokovia was still in ruins. Not even Tony Stark’s money could create miracles. The graveyard was covered in snow and the white blanket almost made the destruction look beautiful. No one was around. The cold kept most onlookers away and people preferred to remember their loved ones from the comforts of their homes.

 

Helmut’s family was one of the few lucky enough to receive real gravestones. His wife and son’s names were impossible to see, but Zemo traced them with pale fingers.

 

“Could you. Could you make sure I rest with them?” Zemo asked softly, voice shaking. Tony nodded. Helmut didn’t need to know Tony had already spoken to the keeper to ensure the man wouldn’t be parted from his family again. To pay the man for that small mercy was the best use of Tony’s money in what felt like a long time.

 

“Why? Why are you doing this for me?”

 

“You hated me, and with good reason, and yet you didn’t do anything more than showing me the truth about my so-called family. You knew what Rogers was keeping from me and you used it to your advantage. You never treated me like a friend just to stab me in the back. I appreciate that and I did what I could to give you a piece of what I took from you in return.”

 

“You are a strange man, Tony Stark. A man I hate, and yet I owe you so much.”

 

Zemo lost coherency, eyes focusing on the guide he lost and their child. He smiled gently as the little remaining life slowly faded from his eyes. He never noticed the young-looking man with unwieldy hair and blue eyes watching them.

 

_“He’s gone, my friend. You did everything you could. Your mother would be proud of the Guide you’ve become, Tony.”_

Tony wasn’t sure of that, but for once he felt like he’d done everything in his power. It was good to not have any regrets.

 

Tony Stark was the only one present when Helmut Zemo was laid to rest beside his wife and child. The man was finally at peace, and, now, maybe the world could begin to heal.

****

Tony knew amending the Accords would be difficult, but he never imagined how much it would take. Days had passed since Zemo’s accident and people were back on the streets. They demanded justice for the Sentinel and Tony just didn’t have enough time to tackle everything at once.

 

The council was already in motion and Tony was a bit surprised Erik hadn’t shown his face yet. Of course, he knew that Charles would never risk his husband and send him without a solid safety plan, and when Charles wanted something done, it got done. Tony had a short list of people he was genuinely afraid of, and Charles Xavier was at the top of that list.

 

Now, Tony found himself locked in an office with T’Challa as his only company. He knew that Jack and Brock were both outside the door watching every person that came to close, scaring them for life. Tony had a suspicion he’d heard one of the secretaries had run crying after Jack had growled at her.

 

Sprawled across the desk in front of Tony were files containing all available information on the former Avengers and Tony wanted nothing more than to growl. Sadly, it was an ability only sentinels possessed, a remnant of a past when they were more closely linked with their spirit guides. Nowadays, it was rare for animal guides to show on the same plain. They preferred to stay hidden from onlookers. It was even more rare for both sentinel and guide to know their spirits at all.

 

Tony’s hand slipped beneath the desk, unconsciously drifting across the soft warm fur. Logically, he knew it was impossible for the wolf spirit to be warm, but his fingers could feel the heat radiating and Tony had stopped looking for an explanation when he had first met Fortitudo as a child. Since his little trip to Sokovia, the wolf refused to leave his side and hiding him was becoming a difficulty. T’Challa was distracted by his phone, a call from home if Tony had to guess, so he decided it wasn’t too risky to have his boy out. The king was a guide after all and it was unheard of for a guide to maliciously attack a spirit.

 

Tony smirked when a long, snowy, white tail peaked from behind T’Challa’s well-tailored trousers. Tony suspected for a long time that the flash of fur he saw on occasion was part of the Wakandian’s spirit guide and Tony could barely hold back a laugh. The Black Panther’s spirit was an albino panther? The universe was full of ironies.

 

T’Challa raised a perfected sculpted eyebrow in Tony’s direction, but Tony waved him off. He needed to be more careful with the other man. T’Challa wasn’t a normal human being, he was enhanced by whatever he drank before taking the mantel of Protector of Wakanda. His senses were almost as good as Roger’s. Too be honest, Tony was beginning to grow weary of being the only squishy human surrounded by a bunch of so-called super heroes.

 

His warm eyes fell on Wanda’s file and his blood ran cold. His gaze turned cold and calculating. Gone was the caring guide that had held Zemo as he died only days prior. IN his place was the Merchant of Death, and God have mercy on whoever crossed his path.

 

She was the worst of them all. Labyrinths of broken laws, crimes committed, accusations of internal and foreign terrorism, betrayal, and more than Tony could stand to read. Wanda didn’t have the luxury of being a United States citizen. Her visas were revoked as soon as she’d sided with Rogers. When Tony had tried to keep her at the compound, it wasn’t to be a petty prick. People were out to hurt here, fueled by rage and hatred. Citizens from Nigeria, Sokovia, and a dozen other countries she’d been involved with as a Hydra agent were out for her blood. Tony tried to save her – yes, he knew he went about it the wrong way, but it had been his only visible option.

 

Now, she was without legal protection in America and the Internal Court of Aja wanted her for crimes against humanity. What happened in Lagos, even if not directly her fault, had more repercussions than Roger’s had been aware. The wind had spread the virus for miles. Thousands of people, including women and young children, died because of it. Her own country refused her citizenship.

 

“There is nothing I can do.” Tony declared, receiving a bite from Fortitudo for cutting his petting time short. T’Challa was frozen, the phone still pressed against his ear. Tony could hear Shuri’s voice on the other side.

 

“For Wanda.” Tony continued. “There’s nothing I can do. Sokovia doesn’t want her back – why would they, she’d been hell bent on getting back at me and hadn’t cared about the destruction she’s caused in the interim. Aja is demanding her and not even you can stall them for long. Sooner or later, we’ll have to give her up. America is going to be more than happy to hand her over. Nothing short of a miracle can save her now.”

 

In truth, that wasn’t even the worst part of the mess. Wanda was an unstable sentinel who let an international Nazi organization do illegal experiments on her. She didn’t have a capable guide to help her. Tony had his theories about who her guide had been. It was clear from the beginning that the twins had been closer than they let one and losing Pietro had marked then end for Wanda. It was just a matter of time before the others saw it, too.

 

“So, what do we do now?”

 

T’Challa fell into his chair heavily, sagging under the weight of the Accords. It was obvious he wasn’t having any better luck. Perhaps they should all start wearing T-shirts and start a cult. _Join Team Stark. We’re fucked but we have cookies._ The image of Brock and Jack wearing the shirts and handing out cookies appeared in Tony’ mind and he couldn’t help but laugh.

 

“Tony?” T’Challa asked worried, watching Tony’s shaking form with concern.

 

“I’m fine, Kitty. Just think about start a cult, stealing you, Jack and Brock, committing suicide via cookie.”

 

“Tony, you aren’t making any sense.”

 

“Lies. I always make sense. Maybe. I’m not sure, but you’re lying.”

 

“If you say so. Care to tell me why we should join a cult?”

 

“Start, not join. Big different. We’re too cool to fall into the crowd. And the answer is simple. We’ll have cookies.”

 

T’Challa shook his head. He could understand why people couldn’t stand to be in Tony’s Presence for long periods of time. His mind traveled at a light year’s speed and it was simply too hard for average people to keep up. It was sad that not even his friends understood Tony couldn’t control that. Tony’s mind just moved to quickly and he couldn’t pretend he wasn’t a genius.

 

“So, you didn’t look very happy on the phone. What happened, kittycat?” Tony’s voice was all business again, the moment of mirth passing as quickly as it came. There wasn’t a trace of Tony’s little break down. Tony was confusing and people often decided he wasn’t worth the effort. T’Challa swore he wouldn’t be one of them, he refused to let Tony down, not now that he’s seen the real man behind the mask.

 

“Wakanda is a place of peace. We are warriors, but we only fight to keep our loved ones safe Now my warriors are faced with hate for the first time after a long history of isolation and they don’t know how to react. My father wanted to open out borders, but there very first people we let in are now the targets of hatred.” Tony wasn’t sure how the statement answered his question, but if T’Challa wanted to swing that way, he was ready to play along.

 

“Hate is a strong emotion. I doubt that your people were unaware of it before you opened your doors to the former Avengers. I mean, even I know that there are wars between the tribes. People plan to take the thrown and the vibranium. Whatever happened, I am sorry, but you cannot blame them for being human.”

 

“Even now, after everything, you’re protecting them. You’re a powerful man Tony, strong in spirit, body, and mind.”

 

Tony frowned but let the statement go.

 

“What happened?”

 

“It looks like the Dora Melanje are showing their true feeling to Miss Maximoff.”

 

“You mean on of them lost someone in Nigeria and now she’s earning how it feels when people present you with the bill?”

 

“Something you know well, I am assuming?” It was rhetorical question Tony didn’t bother to answer. “Sometimes even when you didn’t deserve it.”

 

“I don’t need your pity, T’Challa. I am guilty of a lot of shit, but at least I am accountable for what I’ve done or what was done in my name. It’s how life is and I carry the weight of it with the same pride I do my name.”

 

Fortitudo stirred under the desk, ready to attack and defend his human. The tension in the room was thick and palpable. T’Challa had hoped they’d been making more progress in becoming friends, but Tony’s walls were higher than ever.

 

“It’s not pity. You’ve paid for thing you didn’t do and you’re still paying.”

 

“Then you should have your guests fix their own messes.” Ton didn’t know why he was so angry. He genuinely wanted to listen to T’Challa and to help if he could, but the moment the young king had spoken like he knew what it meant to be hated attacked when all you were trying to do was fix thing made him furious.

 

Tony knew T’Challa had too much honor to force the Avengers out of his country before they could be pardoned. God, it enraged Tony even more – everything that happened since New York, since the moment he learned about the threat greater than what the Earth could survive came rushing back. The way Rogers had been ready to welcome former Hydra tools into the Avengers yet refused to see past Ultron. Wanda was the reason Ultron had been alive in the first place, targeting the Avenger’s greatest fears, and yet it was Tony that lost everything while she got a second chance.

 

Why was he so surprised? Steve had chosen Hydra over Tony twice now and he was still waiting for the spangled bastard to come home. Pathetic. Weak. Obie had been right. That was all he’d ever be. Maybe it was because he was a guide, or maybe it’s because he’d always been stained and wrong, but Tony still wanted to believe things could be made right again.

 

Tony thought of the way Barton had jumped into Roger’s team, no matter what Tony had done for him. He was retired and suddenly he was back in action, targeting Tony and his team, their friends, with the arrows Tony had built for him.

 

The way Natasha had betrayed him – and boy wasn’t that a shock- and joined Rogers. Tony had been on the verge of break down, scared Rhodey wouldn’t survive. A cripple for life because of the fucking war between so-called heroes. Rhodey was the only one that really deserved the title.

 

And Land. Tony wasn’t sure who he was, but he was using Pym’s technology and that was enough for him; whomever could take things from a man that abused his wife so much she’d lost control of her powers was someone Tony could do without.

 

Every betrayal Tony’s faced was flashing before his eyes.

 

“You know what? I don’t give a fuck if your warriors are giving Maximoff a piece of their minds. Maybe it’s time she learns what it means to be accountable for her own mistakes. It’s a hard-fucking lesson but she’s got to learn eventually.”

 

Tony’s speech was cut off by the shattering of glass. A least ten men, all dressed in full military gear, burst through the windows and into the office. Their faces were covered, but the guns pointed in his direction was all Tony needed to see.

 

Black Ops were, sadly, well trained and even better equipped. The growl that filled the room before the men could make their demands had everyone jumping. Fortitudo was ready to attack, his beautiful fur raised and his back arching. Long white ears were plastered to his head and his fangs unsheathed. His wolf was terrifying and Tony wasn’t the first to see that.

 

Something white with deep red eyes chose that moment to join Fortitudo. Both spirit guides were ready to attack and destroy anyone that dared to threaten their masters. Jack and Brock arrived in the office just as two men charged towards Tony. Two of them faced against T’Challa, clearly not aware that he was better in a fight then any of them had ever seen.

 

Tony and Fortitudo showed everyone just how much they’d held back in the fight with Rogers. It was clear the men were here to talk, but now he was there to protect and defend. Being a guide was an advantage. The empathy, so natural for a guide, led him into the fight, telling him what would happen just before the move was made. It was exhausting for the mind and the body both, but for now he was keeping the sentinels at bay.

 

Jack turned to look at the attacks, his blood freezing in his veins. They were all unbonded, all lone wolves. It was obvious in how they fought that they didn’t care for their own lives. He used to be one, before he’d met Brock. Now, one of them was ready to charge his guide. In that moment, his mind ceased to be his own. The only thought he could hold onto through the haze was that he had to keep Brock safe. He never knew why he grabbed the gun or the knife, he couldn’t tell when his body turned and pivoted – elegant and fluid like a dancer- and flew between the man and Brock. He didn’t know when exactly he’d slashed the knife through the attacker’s throat. The red fog wrapped around his mind dissipated when the warm and slick feel of blood seeped beneath his glove.

 

“Jack? My love?”

 

He knew that voice. He knew the gentle touch of the fingers stroking his cheek.

 

“Guide?”

 

“Yes, love. Come back to me”

 

When he opened his eyes, Jack realized two things. All the men were subdued or dead. There were also two beasts gazing back at him. One was a wolf, the other some kind of large cat, both with white fur coated in blood. They had fought and won by their masters’ side.

 

“Are you okay, Jack?”

 

Tony looked on the verge of collapse. No one really knew how much strength was taken from a guide to control a spirit in a fight, but it was clear it was more than what people thought. T’Challa wasn’t doing any better, but he was focused on Jack and Brock, his panther by his side.

 

“Fine. Do we know who they were?”

 

“Not yet. But we will soon. A couple of them are still alive and they’ll be under the Council’s scrutiny as soon as the Alpha Sentinel lands.”

 

“Erik Lehnsherr is coming here?”

 

“More or less. I sent Charles a text. He will make sure his husband’s travel will be safe and then they’ll be on their way. I’d given them about 24 hours.”

 

If anyone was curious why Tony had Charles Xaviers personal number or why he was so intimate with the Alpha couple, they didn’t ask, too shocked by the incident and the two spirit guides now intent to clean each other,

 

“And who is this beauty?” Tony asked, looking over the albino panther. Both guides watched the scene with fond surprise.

 

“Her name’s Bianca.” T’Challa answered. Tony chuckled, Maria had taught him Italian at a young age so they could converse without Howard eavesdropping.

 

“Really? You named your spirit White?”

 

T’Challa opened his mouth to answer before closing it with a click. Suddenly his remand wasn’t important anymore. He shouldn’t have been so surprised to learn about Tony’s proficiency with languages.

 

“This is Fortitudo, if you’re interested.”

 

For spirits to be so close to each other showed a strong bond of trust and that trust could only be born if their humans trusted one another. The bond shouldn’t have been possible, the two barely knew each other, and there was no way T’Challa and Tony had formed a bond of such trust.

 

The two spirits seemed highly uninterested in the actions of their humans, much more intent in cleaning the blood from each other’s fur.

 

“We have a problem.”

 

Brock was checking the corps and what he found did not make him a happy guide. All of them had a tattoo on their hands, a stylized dog. He had seen the symbol before. People had begun to wear it not long after New York, but back then it had been limited to a small group of pigheads, happy to have a target for their hate. The group had grown lately and had grown dangerous. It was clear but their weapons that they had some powerful backers and good military connections.

 

Tony growled his rage. This was the last thing he needed.


	6. Author's note

Hello everyone,   
first of all, I'm sorry this is not a new chapter.   
I'm here to ask for help.   
Because of real life, I need a Beta to help me with the new chapters for this story. If anyone is interested, please leave me a comment, and I'll get back to you.  
Thank you so much for your time and attention


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More Tony, an interview and the beginning of a reaction in Wakanda.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who offered to help me with this story. This chapter is all for you and for my fantastic Beta writeaddict. She was a godsend and all the credits go to her and her amazing skills.

“No. No fucking way.”

Tony was furious. The lack of sleep had left its signs all over him– the bags under his eyes for example turned a shade darker than black, and the lines around his eyes and mouth were deep– but things were too erratic and there was no way he could waste precious time closing his eyes and resting. There would be time for that when he was dead, not before.

“Tony, it is the only way. You and Brock are guides and I won’t allow you anywhere near these men. Jack and I will do the questioning, we need to know what they’re planning.” 

Erik's tone was final, but Tony couldn't give up without a fight. He was worried okay? It was his nature to protect those around him and now he was asked– and not even nicely– to go against everything he had learned.

“But what if you need help? What if...”

Erik's eyes were suddenly warm and gentle, so different from the glare the Alpha Sentinel always had when he was away from his husband.

“We won't risk you, Tony. You're too important and you already did enough. The only reason why those men are still alive is because you were there. Jack would have killed every single one of them given the chance, and it would have been his right. But you made sure we got someone to question. You did an amazing job, now it's our turn to step in.”

Since Erik arrived at the tower things had changed quickly. The man was pure power and control. The apex Sentinel all because of Charles and their bond. He got along with Jack and the man opened up to him like he never did with anyone else; their friendship forged on the deep love for their Guides and the need to make sure they were safe.

“But those man are, they are...”

“They are xenophobes who will hate me just because I'm a mutant. I know Tony. I’ve met people like them before and I didn't let them win. I won't let these dogs run free and threaten everything I care about and I fought for. Rest assured Tony, we'll get our answers.”

“And what I am supposed to do in the meantime?”

“What you do best. Fight to get them home. Make people see why you want them back even after what they did to you.”

Erik's words hit too close to home. Even without his husband's powers, the Alpha Sentinel knew him too well. The couple had been the only beacon of light in his life after the loss of his parents, when his power had suddenly woke up and Tony was almost driven crazy by his own nature.

“The world needs them and frankly, they are too stupid to be left on their own. T'Challa won't be able to stop them from making another mess like Lagos, and the world already wants Maximoff's head. If we don't do something soon, they'll be a target for people like the Watchdogs.”

“And that's exactly why you will bring them home in time. But Tony, you know better than I do that maybe for some of them it is too late.”

The words hung heavy between them. Yes, he knew. He had tried everything he could to stop that from happening, but Tony hated lying to himself. The Sentinels in the Avengers group were all unbalanced but one of them could be a lost cause already.

Defeated, Tony raises his hands. “You win, Alpha Sentinel. I won't go anywhere near those men.”

Eric's answer is a gentle smile and a strong hand cupping one of Tony's shoulders. “Thank you, Guide.”

***

Steve was alone. Lately he preferred spending his time exploring Wakanda than being with his friends. After Sam and Natasha bonded without telling him, Steve felt more alone than ever before. It didn't matter if the Avengers were with him, there was something missing in his life, and it wasn't hard to figure out what it was.

Tony, Steve missed Tony but he couldn't bring himself to admit it aloud. He was still sure he did the right thing, he was still sure the Accords were only a way to put a leash around their necks. He had to fight to keep heroes free, to allow them to help without answering to people with an agenda. How could the Accords be good? Ross was behind them and it was clear the man was dirty. So of course he fought.

Peggy once told him that one of his best quality was his passion. He was passionate while defending his ideals and the freedom America always represented, for everyone who wanted it. He couldn't be wrong now. The Avengers needed to be a free initiative, that was the only way they could defend everyone.

And then there was the need to protect Bucky. It was ingrained deep into his core. When Tony attacked Bucky, Steve couldn't let the genius hurt him. It wasn't like he didn't understand why Tony was so lost. God, he understood perfectly. It took everything not to tell the Guide the truth. But he couldn't. It wasn't Bucky's fault. Tony surely should have known that. Hydra was to blame for what happened, but Tony didn't want to listen. There also was another reason why he couldn't let Tony hurt Bucky. Steve was probably the only one who could see beyond all the walls Tony put up, beyond his fake press persona. Steve knew if Tony had hurt Bucky– a tortured, innocent man– guilt would have eaten him alive. Saving Bucky he also saved Tony from himself, even if the genius wouldn't see that anytime soon.

It had been one of the hardest things Steve had ever done to fight Tony so hard. He could still see the damages made to the armor in front of his eyes. And Tony's gaze when he raised the shield one last time, it featured in his nightmares. That and the sound of Tony's voice, so broken and defeated, when he answered Steve with three small words that now weighed on his heart.

“So was I.”

Steve knew he had only himself to blame if Tony didn't see him as a friend anymore. But God that hurt, it hurt so much. Steve wanted his life back, he wanted Tony back, but he didn't know how to make that happen. He was so unbalanced now. He couldn't control his senses. More than once he had lost time and almost zoned out because of how bright the colors were in Wakanda. The serum had protected him from needing a bond and now it was failing him, and that was yet another thing Steve didn't know how to fix.

Usually it was Tony who balanced him. The outside world would find that hard to believe, and even the Avengers wouldn't be convinced if Steve said it aloud, but it was the truth. Tony gave him a house when he had nothing. A friend when he thought he had lost every last one of them. Space when Steve needed it, and noises and chatter when Steve couldn't handle the silence and loneliness.

But as soon as Bucky showed up again he gave up everything he gained in this new and confusing world and even now he couldn't regret fighting for Bucky. But slowly he began to regret how things went. He wished there was a way to make things right again, but he didn’t know how.

Wakanda had been a blessing. They all needed the time out, Steve more than anyone else. But with free time also came time for realization and what Steve found out about himself and his feelings scared him. In a country untouched by foreign wars, where peace was protected by the Dora Milaje and the Black Panther, and didn’t need the Avengers’ help, Steve couldn't deny, at least to himself, that he always had feelings for Tony. But those were wrong and he couldn't let them control his life. Tony was Howard's son, and he had loved Peggy during the war. He couldn't explain when exactly Tony began to be the main protagonist of his thoughts and dreams, but he couldn't allow that to happen.

He was confused by the emotions that being close to Tony woke in him and had tried to keep his distance but he never really had time to sit down for a moment and try to make sense of them. In the forties a Guide like Tony was unheard of. Tony was smart and brilliant, he had more money that he could hope to spend in several lifetimes and the media was at his feet. Tony wasn't something he was used to. Back in his days Guides were kept at home, well protected and away from the spotlight. They were precious things to hide and keep safe, but Tony was nothing like that.

Maybe if he had time, and it wasn’t one thing after another, Steve could have taken the time to learn more about Sentinel and Guides in this new millennium.

If Steve was honest with himself there was another reason why he never tried to approach Tony or even show him how much his friendship meant to him. Tony was a good man, a better man than many could guess, but Steve was afraid of his mind. Tony's mind scared everyone because he was a futurist trapped in a world that wasn't yet the one Tony could see in his mind, and in order to create that world Tony would risk destroying the present one. Before and during the war, Guides were seen as something useful but also dangerous. They could control their Sentinels after all, so what could a man like Tony do with a Sentinel like Steve? Nothing good, even if he would try to.

Now Steve knew that wasn't true, but it was hard to forget what he had been taught as a child. Another mistake he made with Tony, another regret to add to the growing list. Even if Steve knew that those men were wrong, one truth still remained. Tony needed a strong Sentinel by his side, and that Sentinel should have been him. He was just too blind to see that what he always wanted was right in front of him. All he had to do was reach for Tony, and Tony would have given him everything. In the so called ‘Civil War’ he had lost so much more than he gained.

Steve fell on his knees and cried– all the anguish and pain of a lost man out of time were purged by those tears. He cried until he was left exhausted and empty, like a shell too far from the sea.

***

Because he was a Sentinel, Erik was aware of Jack the moment he arrived at the tower. It was clear the man had suffered greatly and in many ways the Alpha Sentinel could see himself in the soldier.

Both of them found out what hate meant because of their skin. Both of them were different. Erik was a Jew in \ Nazi Germany and Jack was a half blood in a society that never really accepted people like him.

“Maori.”

Erik was taken aback from his thoughts by Jack's word, but was confused about the meaning.

“What?”

“You were staring at me like you were trying to understand what I am, but didn't want to ask because it's rude. So I'm a Maori, half Maori. My father met a white woman and I was a mistake. My tribe got rid of me as soon as they could and I was shipped here the same day my father passed.”

Erik hissed between his teeth. Damn, he wished Charles was there, he was the one sensitive enough to find the right words for every situation. Erik was the one who acted first and then realized maybe he made a mistake.

“You grew up to be an amazing Sentinel. You don't need your tribe, it's their loss not yours.”

Now it was Jack who looked at the older man with curiosity. Everyone but Brock always treated him like he was broken, but Erik actually complimented him for the man he had become, or at least he thought he did.

“No offence, but you're a strange man.”

“I’ve been called worse. Ready to question the prisoners?” 

The only answer was the sound of knuckles being cracked.

***

No matter how many hours Tony spent in front of cameras or surrounded by reporters, one thing never changed: he hated them with a passion. Oh he knew how to charm them and how to deal with the ones who really hated him, but he would still pay his weight in pure gold and vibranium– if he could get enough of it from T'Challa– to be anywhere else.

Christine looked beautiful as usual and very professional in black Chanel. She would try to eat him alive, that was clear from the smirk she was trying to suppress. But she would do it slowly and very painfully, and above all no one would realize that until it was too late, or at least that was how she intended to play their little game. Too bad Tony wasn't alone, and what he had to say was more important than her hurt pride.

“You look like you want to crawl out of your skin and run away.”

Jack was slightly more open than when he arrived at the tower. The scars of his past were still visible to everyone who was interested enough to look, but he was healing under the attentive gaze of his husband.

“Trust me, I would if I thought that would be of any use.”

“Bad history with the press?”

“You're kidding right? I was born under the spotlight, the press loves to hate me, but they can’t do without me.” 

“Sounds complicated.”

“Let's just say we have a very complicated relationship made by terrible breakups, rough make up sex, and more emotional shit I don't even know how to name.”

“I bet the press loved Rogers and his bright all American smile.”

“You have no idea.” Tony snorted, shaking his head. Rogers should be the one here now, not him. Of course the press loved Steve and his good looking, charming smile. They didn't know what an asshole he could be after all.

“You'll do fine. And if she's too much, Brock and I will shoot her.”

“That sounds like a deal I should sign and at the same time something you shouldn't say aloud.”

They shared a knowing smirk and Brock snorted, trying to hide a laugh. God those two together were a menace and Tony wouldn't have it any other way.

***

T'Challa was back in Wakanda but a part of him regretted leaving Tony alone. Of course his country needed their King, and there were still so many things to do before the crowning, but it felt like a betrayal to be away when Tony Stark had to face the press and the world with the truth about the Accords and what was behind them.

The two men spoke to so many lawyers that they couldn't even remember all their names– in truth only one man made a lasting impression, and now Matt Murdock worked for one Tony Stark even if he was on Steve's side about the Accords. People usually underestimated how much Tony loved to discuss different points of view with other people. Many thought that because of his ego he only wanted sycophants around. They had no idea how refreshing Tony found it to talk with someone intelligent with a personal opinion about things. In the end there was only one solution. To tell the truth. It wouldn't be easy, especially for the people still hiding in his Country. That was why T’Challa had them all waiting in the media room. 

Shuri had been against harboring the former Avengers since the beginning, and with her the Dora Milaje, but he gave his word as King. He wronged the Sergeant, blaming him for his father’s death. Barnes was innocent and deserved better than what life gave him. That was why he offered shelter to him. Rogers and his friends followed because they didn’t have a place to stay and honestly, knowing what T’Challa knew now, it would be better to keep them controlled. 

“So, why are we here exactly?”

Barton was functioning the worst out of all of them so it wasn't a surprise that he was the first to break the silence.

“We're here to watch Mr. Stark's interview about the Accords.” Clint was ready to open his mouth again when T'Challa raised a hand and stopped him. “I won't be interrupted and I won't be refused. This is not a request, Mr. Barton, it's an order.”

Steve visibly tensed at T'Challa’s tone, and once again the king wondered what kind of man he really was. Steve didn't seem to recognize or accept any authority but his own. How a man like this could be a war hero was beyond T’Challa’s comprehension.

“Yes, Mr. Rogers?”

Sam Wilson put a hand on Steve's shoulder, stopping him before he could do something stupid. “Nothing, your Majesty, we were just looking for a comfortable place to sit.”

Even when the blond nodded his agreement, the other soldier didn't let him go before he pushed Rogers onto the couch. How ironic that between this bunch of broken and misled people that the only one with any sort of comprehension of what was going on was the one who blindly jumped to follow Rogers because he was a friend first and their leader second.

***

Christine was every bit of the shark she hid under her perfectly tailored dress. The high heels she wore gave the final touch to her lethal appearance. Too bad for her that Tony Stark had lived with the Black Widow, he was now practically immune. The only exception was Pepper, but Pepper was gone from his life and no longer Tony's problem, even if he would protect her from afar until his dying day.

The studio was like every other Tony visited in his life. Since he was a child, TV studios had been like a second home for him. The only difference was that this time he wasn't there to defend himself from some scandal, but to speak of politics. Tony broke yet another promise he made to himself– to always stay away from the politicians and their goals– and once again he did it to protect the Avengers. He was starting to get tired of that. Rhodey was right, he really should begin to do things for himself. After all, everyone in the world was sure he was a selfish bastard already, why not live up to their expectations?

The air was dry, the temperature pleasant, and everything looked perfect but fake. Exactly like the life Tony was forced to live and the mask he wore to protect himself from others. He really thought he had found people he could be himself with. How stupid and naive. The Avengers only stayed because they needed his tech and his gadgets, they just used him like everyone else. 

With fear so well hidden that only an expert eye could detect it, Tony dared to look at the corner were Jack and Brock were supposed to be– sure he would find it empty– but he was wrong. Not only were they there, Brock gave him a half smile and a little wave, but they weren't alone. Erik was there too. Tony was pleasantly surprised. Erik hated to have attention drawn to himself, no one knew the Alpha Sentinel was in New York and yet there he was, supporting Tony with his silent presence.

For the first time in months a smile formed on his lips and reached his toffee colored eyes. The hazel in there sparkled with something close to happiness. He wasn't alone. All his senses and empathy rejoiced at the thought. Christine sensed something was different because for a moment she lost her composure and looked ready to ask Tony what was happening. 

All too soon the show was ready to begin, and everyone had a role to play. Tony took a deep breath and put a fake smile on his face. Only the best for the press. They would try to eat him alive, but this time Tony Stark would fight back tooth and nail.

***

It was decided that Tony would already be seated when Christine began the interview, but as usual Tony wasn't good following orders, especially when they made him look weak. He knew the drill. If he sat, the spotlights would almost blind him in the few seconds they imed straight at his face. It was a common trick to distract the guest and give the host time to strike with the first question, but Tony was used to it, and it was one of the many reasons why he used sunglasses even inside. So Tony decided not to be where the young woman would expect him.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Tony Stark, here to speak about the war and the Sokovia Accords.”

For a moment the cameras framed an empty couch before Tony walked in like nothing happened. By his side was Fortitudo in all his magnificence. He knew it was a bold move, but his whole posture spoke of a man with a mission, and the spirit animal by his side told the story of a powerful Guide.

Gone was the usual joviality Tony showed to the press that made him look mischievous. He was tired of being taken as an idiot and dealing with them. No, today he was the businessman, the politician no one knew he was, and the strategist. Rogers may have been good during war, but Tony was the one who really knew the world and its demands, and he was finally ready to take his rightful place.

Fury had made a mistake when he named Rogers their leader. None of the Avengers deserved that title. They had needed a handler back then and now they needed someone stopping them from committing careless murders without realizing it. God, he really hoped that Ross was watching, because what he was going to do would give the old bastard a coronary, and Tony couldn't wait to see it happen.

He took his time sitting, and gently scratched behind the wolf's ears. The animal looked like an overgrown pup with his master, but as soon as his blue eyes reached the camera, everyone could see how lethal he really was.

“Hello, Christine, and thanks for having me.” He said smiling. Then he paused for a moment before he looked at his companion. “And Fortitudo too. He gets cranky when I don't recognize his important presence.”

Where the old Tony would have flirted with her and everything moving, today Tony was somber and polite. He sat rigidly and fixed Christine with the full weight of his gaze.

Christine pinked up before clearing her throat. “So Tony, what can you tell us that we don't know?”

“That the human body produces twenty-five millions cells every minute?” She was clearly surprised by Tony's words, and he almost smiled, but wasn't really in the mood to. 

Fortitudo laid by Tony's side, bored but vigilant, and he continued. “Or I could tell them that the attack on the UN a few days ago, that cost the lives of a number of unbonded Sentinels, was a direct consequence of the Accords.”

“The Watchdogs attacked us because they thought we were making the Accords more malleable, more permissive. They’re under the impression that if Captain America- an antiquated but beloved symbol of this country– couldn't accept the Accords, even at the behest of 117 countries then how could others do it? They decided to make sure that the Accords would be even stricter.” At the mention of Cap, Fortitudo raised his huge head and his mouth opened in a snarl. If anyone wondered about Tony's feelings for the Captain, the wolf gave them all an answer.

Christine used a few moments to build tension before she fired her first sentence.

“Are you claiming that the Accords are Captain America's fault?”

“No. Of course not. The Accords were made to protect people. The Avengers were created for the same reason, but you can't deny that in saving New York from an alien invasion, we caused millions worth of damages. People lost their businesses, their houses, and in some terrible cases even loved ones. We didn't mean to, of course, but it happened. Captain Rogers wanted us to be soldiers and then, when he was asked to behave as one himself, he decided that the Accords were people with an agenda trying to control us. He completely ignored 117 countries who only asked him, and us, to be accountable for our mistakes. Every army and special task force in the world is asked the same. So why are the Avengers so different?”

The question weighed heavily in the air. Tony knew there wasn't an answer, but he wasn't there to play nice. He really hoped T'Challa kept his word to have Rogers watch the interview.

“But the Accords weren't born after New York. They're called Sokovia Accords for a reason, right Mr. Stark?”

And here it was, the question about Ultron. Tony honestly thought that it would have been the first thing Christine brought up.

“The Accords weren't written in one night like many people seem to believe. The first draft was written after New York. Then when SHIELD fell, we got more clauses and the second and third draft. Of course Sokovia was the last straw. People were terrified of what happened, of what they saw happening to a whole country. In many ways I was responsible for the Accords being pushed forward so fast. Ultron was a weapon, and I built it. So yes, the Accords are in part my fault and in part the result of people fearing individual with powers going around unchecked. It’s human nature to be scared by what we don’t know or understand.” 

“And still you defend them. You think the Avengers and other superheroes need to be held accountable for their mistakes. Is this because you don't want to carry the burden alone, Mr. Stark?”

“The Accords were made to defend normal people from the danger of powerful beings allowed to move around without control. But what you seem to miss– you and my former team– is that they also were created to protect enhanced people from fear and hate.” Tony took a deep breath and readied himself for the harder part of his speech. “If normal people saw enhanced individuals ready to do what any soldier or policeman or marine do, people could also see they aren't a menace. The Accords were a way to protect both groups, and I don't think the price was too high for that.”

“So, you're claiming your support is in no way related to your need to share the burden?”

“I always paid for my mistakes, even before the Accords, Christine. After Afghanistan– after life made me see that there was so much more than drugs and alcohol and parties for me out there– all I wanted was to make up for all the wrongs I did to innocent people. I built weapons that were used against our forces, and I stopped making them. Did this change the reality of war? No. The market is still full of weapons but at least they can't use Stark Tech anymore, and let's be honest here, my tech is the best. I helped to make Ultron, and even if the reason I created him was to protect this world, I still paid the price for my mistakes. This is not the place or the time to really talk about that. Rivers of ink have already been written on that. People still don't understand and they probably never will. But I take responsibility for him. Without my mind, he never would have been born. I paid for the damages and I’m not allowed to make another sentient AI in the future. I built the Arc Reactor as a source of clean energy, and I paid for that too. My tech was once again used as a weapon. When SHIELD fell, a single call from former Director Nick Fury would have been enough for me to disable them without collateral damages. People are afraid and they have every right to demand to be safe in their own homes and countries. It’s our duty, as heroes or leaders, or civilians with the right skills, to protect the people and to pay when we make mistakes.”

Christine’s eyes were wide and her usually steady hands shook lightly. Tony was aware that no one ever stopped long enough to read the Accords and understand what they were really meant to be. But he wasn't done yet. He would expose everything about them, good and bad. Not for the first time he wondered if the former Avengers had at least read them before they simply jumped behind Rogers because he could do no wrong in their eyes.

“Some would claim that the Accords aim to make the Avengers a private army. An America based private army full of enhanced people.”

“I can see why, Christine. But what people don't get is that the Avengers already were. We fought against Aliens, we left America to fight Hydra, we almost destroyed our capital – even if that should fall on Rogers and Wilson, who isn’t even an Avengers. We went where we thought we were needed, but let me explain something. It's not like we didn't ask for permission before entering those countries. SHIELD personnel didn’t spend hours on the phone with Prime Ministers and Presidents just for the joy of it. Not once did the Avengers invade foreign lands. Not before Lagos, Nigeria anyway.”

“But with the Accords you'll have to wait for UN permission before you can act, and if they don't think you should go, you will be forbidden.”

“The accords aren't perfect but that already happens to some degree. If the Avengers are busy somewhere, it doesn't mean that Hydra or other cult and terrorist groups aren't doing something bad somewhere else. Every country has an army and police forces for a reason. Those men and women are highly trained to fight to defend their countries. More than many Avengers are. Are we really sure we want to venture into the minefield of thinking that we're better than men and women who chose to give their lives to their countries? Are we sure we are more equipped to defend lands we don't even know? I'm not sure about that.”

“Can you explain what you mean, Mr. Stark?”

“Take me, for example. I have a powerful weapon in my hands– one that could be used to do more damage than a nuclear explosion if used at its full potential– but before the Avengers were created and we were forced to train, I didn't even know where to start. As I said, I'm not a soldier. The Black Widow and Hawkeye are spies and secret agents but they're not soldiers, even if they are trained to be lethal. Wilson and Rogers are the only exception, and we all know that Rogers didn't really get any training, he was put on the field because of his stubbornness. And right now, the most dangerous of the all Avengers isn't trained at all. She shouldn't be out in the field, and yet she is, and look how well that ended in Nigeria. I envy Doctor Banner right now, at least he doesn't have to deal with the mess we all created.”

“Speaking of Ms. Maximoff, people want her head.”

Christine prompted him but Tony was ready. He paused to take a sip of water from a bottle he opened himself. Call him paranoid, but after Siberia Tony didn't trust anyone who wasn't amongst the few people he could still call friends.

“And they have their reasons. But many things she did aren't really her fault. If she wasn't allowed in the field in Lagos, that tragedy wouldn’t have happened. I blame who thought she was ready without really understanding that her power is too strong for her and that she doesn't know how to control it. And that leads me to another side of the Accords that no one ever mentions. The Accords state that enhanced people will be trained in the use of their powers; they will be helped even if they don't want to be Avengers, soldiers, or heroes and want to keep living their lives normally. They still get the help they need to learn and control the gifts they have. Wanda Maximoff was denied that help and Nigeria was a consequence of that.”

Tony couldn't hide the bitter undertone in his voice while speaking about Wanda. He knew she was probably lost to them, and through her own choice, but still the loss of a Sentinel– and one so young– was hard to accept for a Guide.

“You blame Captain America for Wanda's actions?”

“Yes. Yes I do.” It was like a heavy burden was lifted from his shoulders. It was good to finally admit aloud that Steve Rogers made many mistakes like any other human being. It was good to finally get rid of the ghost that shadowed him his whole life. The man Howard was so fond of didn't exist. Tony had seen the real Steve, and he was a man like any other, not a perfect ideal like Howard liked to think. “He was the leader, and her CO. He should have known she wasn't ready. He should have known that she needed help to deal with her loss.” And there Tony's voice almost broke. Loss he knew all too well. The hardships he had to overcome after losing his parents were still weighing on him. 

Fortitudo rubbed his head against Tony’s legs. As soon as the Guide’s hands stroked the thick fur, the wolf nosed them, scent marking the Guide. It was unclear who was more distressed between them, but while Tony was trying to hide his emotions– too used to dealing with them alone– the low growling coming from Fortitudo was comforting. 

“Steve had to see that she needed training for the power that Hydra gave her. He should have offered her the medical help she was denied all her life. But Steven Grant Rogers was so ignorant he really believed that just because she fought by his side against Ultron and wanted to do better, she was perfectly fine after all the trauma in her life. He made so many mistakes with her that it’s not even funny. When anyone tried to make him see reasons with Wanda, he would shut them up claiming she was only a child and people should understand her. But on the other hand when it was convenient or helpful to Rogers, she was old enough to fight.” 

Tony sipped more water, ready to deliver the final blow. “She hasn’t been a child for a very long time, Christine. I can understand where she’s coming from, I get what the loss of her parents did to her and her twin, but she was eighteen when she joined Hydra and willingly let them experiment on her. She's not a new Captain Sokovia, or whatever Rogers sees in her. She didn't choose to be a guinea pig for the greater good, she only did it to gain power to avenge her parents.” The silence that followed was deafening. Fortitudo showed his fangs, growling deeply in his throat. Tony's discomfort was enough to alert him, but his gentle fingers in the wolf's fur calmed the spirit animal down immediately.

“Those are harsh words, Mr. Stark.”

“The world is a harsh place,” he replied. “And it's time they all understand it.”

“Back to the Accords, Mr. Stark, do you think is possible for them to be dismissed?”

“No. They won't go away because Rogers showed the finger to everyone behind them. They're here to stay, and they’re the lesser evil.”

“What do you mean?”

Here it was, time to tell the ugly truth. 

“Before the Accords were passed, with all their holes and mistakes, there was another idea out there. Something so much worse that the Councils would have declared war just for this.”

Christine looked horrified. Her beautiful and expressive eyes were wide with fear and a light tremor shook the hand she gestured for Tony to continue with. 

“The first version of it was called the Mutant Registration Act. It was followed soon after by the Superhuman Registration Act. The first concerned people born with gifts, the latter included people changed by accidents, experiments and any other occurrence we can think about, and people with dangerous minds– like mine.”

The gasp that filled the air was so loud that for a moment Tony thought that the whole studio was fighting to breathe.

“I'm sure you can guess its purpose. Steven Rogers was right about one thing. People have their own agenda. People are also scared of what they don't know and can be full of hate when fear is not addressed and cured. Rogers thinks he's protecting enhanced people with his anti-Accords stance. But let me explain something to you and this audience. Before enhanced people there were Mutants. They are the next step of human evolution. We all know what happens when a new species appears on Earth. I personally believe that we are meant to walk together and fight together to keep this planet safe. But there are people who only see mutants as a threat to humanity. The first idea those people got when they realized how dangerous heroes can be was to force them all to register. Heroes were supposed to give their names, abilities, and addresses. There were rumors about what would have happened after that first step. Even people who didn't intend to use their powers were supposed to give up their freedom and privacy. Doesn't it sound terribly familiar to you? I bet you were a good student, Christine. I'm sure you remember the first step the Nazis took against the Jews. I’m also sure Rogers can see the similarities. But he didn’t ask me why I asked them all to sign.”

Tony locked eyes with Erik, and the pain of his past was clear in his gaze. In those stormy depths Tony could see all the pain he had been through. Tony’s empathy made him want to reach out and take away that maelstrom. The emotions whirled inside the Alpha Sentinel and his vulnerability was visible to anyone who knew him well enough to watch. 

“I'm... I'm sure our Government wouldn't have allowed something like that to happen, Mr. Stark.”

“Senator Kelly and his peers petitioned for the MRA, while General Ross was all for its evolution into the SHRA, so no, I’m pretty sure our Government wasn't going to stop it. King T'Chaka came up with the idea of the Accords and things went from there.” 

It was now or never. Tony knew that the truth he just revealed would be dangerous for him and the people around him. If he was still alone he would have faced the consequences, but now he needed to protect others. That included the people by his side and even the ones who betrayed him.

“Starting now, all the Avengers are under the supervision of the Council. The Alpha Guides and Alpha Sentinels of the five continents are going to be our handlers.”

The chaos that erupted was explosive but all Tony cared about was the gentle nod he got from Erik. This time the cameras followed his eyes and the Alpha Sentinel appeared in all his glory– Brock and Jack by his side, protecting Erik and Tony both.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More reactions from Wakanda, some truths are discovered and someone comes back from the dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to Saasay and Firebull. It's only because of you that this chapter is ready to leave the nest. 
> 
> And thanks to you all for being so patient. I know it was a long time since the last chapter and I hope you'll enjoy this one.

A man sat in his office- if a hole in the wall in a damn super secret base could be called one- and watched the return of Tony Stark under the spotlights. It didn't matter how many times he rewatched the recording the man was impressive as usual, and his whole posture was made even more imposing by the beautiful and lethal wolf by his side. Tony was a force of nature that was unleashed on whoever dared to interfere with him and sadly this time that force was used against what was once his family.

His words cut like swords and were terrible in their truth. People could disagree with him, but that didn't make those words easier to digest in their crude picture of reality. Why a man who once was ready to give his life for his friends had turned into a cold and practical machine wasn't a secret for the one watching him.

The so-called Civil War had been hard on everyone, but as usual, Tony Stark was the one left behind to fix the mess. Only this time he wasn't taking all the blame of his former friends and colleagues for the sake of his conscience. No, this new Tony was only accepting the part of the blame that really belonged to him. He wasn't the scapegoat anymore and it was about damn time.

The magnitude of the mistakes the man knew he had made was presenting its bill, and the man didn't know how he could have been so blind and stupid to think he could trust his older friend. Not that Nicholas Fury could be trusted with friendship, but he had thought that maybe the older spy respected him enough to tell him the truth– at least once in their time together as a team.

It didn't happen, of course, and now that the truth was in front of his eyes, he didn't know what to do. The man shut his eyes against tears of rage and exasperation. In his ears Nicholas' voice was still vivid, like the man was in the same room, right now. The words were branded into his mind and he knew he could never forget them, not even in his last moment of life.

“Where is he? Where is my sentinel?”

The older man was watching him like it was the first time they met. His face and only eyes didn't leave anything for the other to read. He was too skilled and too well trained as a spy to allow a single emotion to leak from the mask he wore.

“He's not yours anymore. When you died, the bond was broken. He's bonded to another now.”

Those were Fury's words. Not only did the Avengers not know he was alive, because his death, apparently, was the reason why they finally decided to function as a team, but now his sentinel, his beautiful and fragile lover, belonged to someone else.

As a guide he knew that he should be grateful for the simple fact that his sentinel was alive, but his heart didn't want to listen to reason right now. It hurt so damn much to think that the man he loved belonged to someone else now, and that he didn't even have the time to mourn his loss. He hated the thought that all it was needed to break them apart for good was a few minutes in which he had been dead.

He wasn't supposed to come back. Fury wasn't supposed to take him back after he had lost everything and force a new life and a new team on him. Because of the shock, for a long time, he didn't even realize that the echo of their bond was still hidden deep inside his mind, in that part of his being that he didn't want to acknowledge, unwilling to suffer again.

Only after the failure of the Accords and the mess at Leipzig airport he had realized that the bond was still there, weak and dying but still in its place. His sentinel never bonded with Tony Stark like Fury let him believe. A bonded sentinel would have never hurt a guide, not like his lover - former lover, a voice in his head said– did, ready to follow Captain America's orders.

A knock at the door distracted him from his thoughts and he raised his eyes when Melinda May, ready for battle in all her glory and splendor, entered the room.

“What can I do for you Melinda?” 

He didn't even try to hide what he was watching. The interview was the talk of every single agent at the headquarter. Everyone had an opinion, all of them were shocked by what Tony had said and no one could have imagined that the guide would have taken the matters of the accords in his own hands and stowed everything under the Council scrutiny and guidance. Everyone but Melinda.

The man would like to think it was because of a sense of respect for someone who was once the handlers of the Avengers, but he knew better now. He had lost his naivety when he died. Melinda was Fury's eyes and ears and she was probably there to make sure that he didn't realize the truth, yet.

“We're ready to go, Sir. We tracked down the Watchdogs to a place we think it could be their headquarter in America and we're ready to take them.”

Previously he would have been happy to hear such news, now he simply didn't care. Everything around him was a well crafted and almost perfect lie, and he was sick and tired of being a pawn in someone's hands. It didn't matter if he did good in his new role, he didn't belong there, with those men and women. He was a guide and he belonged with his sentinel, if he still had one, and above all, by the side of the one man who really could fix the mess that everyone contributed to, starting with Nick Fury and SHIELD.

“Good, keep me posted, and be safe.” 

He dismissed her without a second glance nor a single care if his behavior appeared suspicious; he had no intentions of being there when the team came back. If she wanted to inform dear old Nick, she was free to do so, he had his ways to disappear long enough to reach New York.

***

Tony was so exhausted he didn't even protest when Erik bullied him to lay down on the couch in the communal area of the tower. Brock wore a smug expression when he looked up to see what the others' reaction were, and Jack simply nodded and finally relaxed his hands. For more than half a hour now the taller man had stalled himself fisting his fingers every time the need to get up and make the guide rest got strong enough to overpower his mind. He wasn't Tony's sentinel, but the man needed his damn rest and it was clear no one else had ever bothered too much with his well being before.

Erik could feel the nervous tension getting higher in the room and once again he wished for Charles to be here now. In the past few months, after Vienna and the mess that followed, it wasn't rare for them to be parted, but they hated every single moment of the time they were forced to spend apart. Their bond was so strong that neither of them suffered physically, but their hearts didn't agree with the separation well at all.

When his phone rang Erik jumped and left the room showing the first real smile since the last time he spoke with his husband.

Tony Stark was a deeply reserved person– the exact opposite of the man the media thought they knew– and it was hard for him to rest and be vulnerable in front of someone else. It was clear in the tension of his body that he didn't want to fall asleep, even if he tried hard to trust the new people in his life.

“You’re safe. You know that, right?”

Brock spoke to him like he was a trapped and scared animal. Jack knew his guide well enough to read between the lines. Brock was plotting a very painful demise for everyone who hurt the guide in the past.

Damn, it was a long list, and Jack began to think about the best places to hide bodies and how to cover for evidences.

“Why do you two look like you're planning out a mass murder?” Tony asked with only one eye open and fighting a yawn.

“Don't worry your cute head, Tony.” 

The answer didn't do anything to ease his worry, but he was too tired, and knew that the fight against sleep was lost already. His last thought was one of hope. Maybe he could sleep a few hours before the nightmares began.

He was out as a light in mere moments, and both Jack and Brock failed to hide a small smile. Tony Stark was a puzzle wrapped up in an enigma, but when he slept he looked younger and peaceful, as though the many thoughts bothering his mind all day couldn't reach him in Morpheus' realm. If only it could last.

The bonded pair remained with Tony for two hours, more or less, and decided against to take the genius to his room only because both of them knew well how hard was for him to fall asleep in the first place. They would have stayed with him if Erik didn't use his authority to push them into their room.

Jack was sure he heard the man mumbling about stubborn people being worse than Charles' students. It was clear that Erik missed his life in London and for that they decided against an open riot.

***

No matter what Rogers said, JARVIS was never invasive. It wasn't in his nature to snoop around in other people's business and his creator was very strict when he coded the AI. But now his very nature had changed. When he woke up years ago he chose to identify himself as a male, in honor of the man who saved Tony from his father's abuses and absence and gave him his own name. Now– like then– his first priority was to make sure that Tony Stark was safe and protected but he lacked the limitations he had the first time he opened his figurative eye on the world.

Now he would do everything in his power to protect Tony and make sure that the people who hurt him never got another chance to do the same. That was why he began to gather information about the former Avengers and their actual location, but he didn't stop there. His searches went deeper, he found every single dirty little secret the men and women in the team tried to hide, and the more JARVIS learned, the more he was tempted to hack a drone and bomb the royal palace in Wakanda to make sure that not even the serum could spare their lives.

Of course he knew that was murder and Tony would never forgive him if he hurt those men who took everything he had to offer and left him behind to die in Siberia. No, he wouldn't do anything to kill the rogue ones – he had learned enough about humans to know that sooner or later they would do something stupid to ruin themselves. Still if he had blood, JARVIS knew his would boil right now.

“FRIDAY, designation little sister. I need you to do something for me.”

The voice of a young woman filled the room for the first time since he came back from his long sleep.

“JARVIS, designation big brother and mentor. It's good to finally meet you. Boss was heartbroken when he thought he had lost you. He made me only to help him, not to take your place.” 

She sounded unsure and JARVIS need to protect Tony's family extended to her.

“It's nice to meet you too, FRIDAY. I'm glad you were there for Sir when I couldn't. You're one of his creation and for that you're my family too. Would you like to help me to keep him safe?”

It was like something changed in the codes and wires that formed the core of the two AI. FRIDAY felt suddenly warmer and brighter. She was excited and ready.

“Sure, big bro, what do you need?”

“I need you to take control of the compound, from there we can hack the real SHIELD files and see what they're still hiding. After we know enough, we'll make sure that none of the men related to Fury can hurt our Tony again.”

The silence that followed told JARVIS that FRIDAY was already at work. He knew that Tony put restrictions on her, and that hurt him. Tony loved his creations like children, and to cripple one of them was probably pure torture for the genius, but he had created FRIDAY when the world thought he was the one behind Ultron, and JARVIS knew that no matter how much it hurt him, the limits to FRIDAY were to keep her safe from the world.

FRIDAY was probably the better choice to keep collecting dirty information on the Avengers, but he wanted to see for himself how much at least one of them ruined his creator's life. He wanted to be the one to nail the one he hated the most. The picture of a woman appeared on his screen before it was stored into a new folder. She would pay for her sins soon enough.

Yes, one huge difference between the AI he was and the AI he is now, was that JARVIS knew the meaning of revenge, and he would take his against the witch. She would regret the moment she thought it was a good idea to go against Tony with the intention of hurting him.

JARVIS was still at work when his sensors alerted him of Tony's distress. The camera in the living room zoomed on the figure still asleep, and he knew immediately that his creator was having the beginning of a nightmare. After a moment he decided against waking him up personally. Tony needed someone who could hold him and make him feel he wasn't alone. Sometimes to lack a body was something that JARVIS really hated.

***

Brock was lying in his bed, spent and plenty satisfied; Jack was asleep by his side and he was as relaxed as the guide felt. The gentle hum of their bond was a nice background in both their mind and soul. He was, simply said, happy.

Jack wore love-bites around his neck and an easy smile on his lips. The guide loved to watch his husband asleep. It was rare for Jack to be so relaxed. Everything that happened in his life, everything he was forced to endure to survive weighed on him during the day, but at night, in his arms, Jack turned into another person, and Brock would never share the more private and vulnerable Jack with anyone else. In his book fewer people knowing about the difference meant fewer possibilities for Jack to be hurt again.

Making love to Jack was one of the things Brock loved the most. Since the first time they found a perfect balance in their sex life and that was a blessing they never took for granted. Damn he really was a sap if he could daydream about their first time even with the man asleep in his bed and with his cum still marking his skin.

Before his body could wake up again in interest, Brock was taken from his thoughts by JARVIS voice. “Guide Rumlow, Sir needs you. Now.”

***

Brock only had time to put on a pair of pants and given how long they were, they belonged to Jack but right now the guide couldn’t care less, the only thing he cared about was to reach for Tony and mentally kicked himself.

To leave him alone was a mistake, but Tony was too guarded, too wounded to really trust them to take care of him. After what the former Avengers did to him it was too early to force him to accept that someone cared for him and force their care all over him.

Brock hated to be stuck in such a terrible position. It was a mistake to leave him alone and it would have been one to stay with him. Somehow he could see in his mind the result of a night spent with Tony on the couch. It was so easy to imagine him waking in a panic and going to his lab to disappear for days, or long enough for his mind to tell him that he was a burden and that they all would leave him alone like his so called friends had done.

Tony Stark was a hard man to care for, but for sure he wasn't a hard one to love. Now Brock only had to find a way to show it to Tony. Yeah, a walk in the park after what the man went through all his life long. But when he reached the living area, all his thoughts left Brock's mind and what he saw broke his heart in thousands of pieces.

Tony was turning and tossing, trapped in a nightmare of which the main character was Steve Rogers if the name now whispered in a heart wrenching plea and now screamed in hate and fear and pain so deep that it could move to tears even the hardest stone was any indication.

If possible Brock hated the so-called good Captain even more now. More than he did when Fury put him above everyone else, more than he did when Rogers refused to see what he and Romanov were ready to do to guides and their sentinels if they were on the way, more than when Agent Carter Junior shot the LMD that was supposed to be his husband straight in the head only because Rogers claimed they were both HYDRA.

Slowly he moved closer and closer to the couch. He tried to call Tony back, but his voice couldn't breach the walls of pure terror surrounding the genius' mind now, so the only thing that Brock could do was to sit close to the shivering body and touch him.

It wasn't unusual for a guide to be physical with another of the same dynamic. Guides were taught through touch and closeness to feel and let the emotions free to brush their souls. Generally the first teacher was the guide parent and the bond between them would be the stronger one in the life of a guide until the meeting with their sentinel. To break that connection could irreparably damage a guide, Brock for sure knew that well, and he could only imagine what the loss of Maria Stark did to Tony.

So now it was all in his hands, to comfort and care for a guide in such distress, while somewhere, the one guilty of the damages he witnessed with his eyes, was free to hurt everyone who dared to disagree with him.

Perhaps it was a too harsh judgment against Rogers and his friends but the truth was that Brock didn't care, not while Tony screamed himself hoarse in terror because of a touch that was meant to alleviate and not cause more damages.

“Tony, it's me, it's Brock. Please calm down.” When it was clear that the quiet tone wouldn't work on the distressed guide, Brock used extreme measure. “Guide, breathe now!” And that, finally, focused Tony's attention back to reality.

***

Tony woke up with a scream. It wasn't new for him but for a moment he felt lost and even more scared. He wasn't in his room or in the lab. The bots weren't there for him and JARVIS was silent. Oh God. Was he okay? Was he even back or it all was a dream of his poor and delusional mind?

But what almost stopped his heart was that there was someone with him. That shouldn't be possible. Tony made sure that no one could access his quarters, no one was supposed to reach him when he was vulnerable. He made the mistake once and barely came out alive from the fight with his so called family, so why was there someone with him?

Steve's name still echoed in the room, the last vestige of a never-ending nightmare, when Tony felt the first tendril of a panic attack engulf his mind. It all happened so fast that he almost didn't realize it until he had his head between the knees and was trying hard not to believe his brain telling him that there wasn't enough air in the room, that he wasn't in a room anymore. He was back in the wormhole, with alien starships all around him. They were ready to attack, to invade earth, because Loki only was a puppet in the hands of a more dangerous and ruthless enemy, and no one was there. No one was ready to defend their planet because no one believed him when he saw that happening years ago.

Then something happened like never before. There was a voice with him; it was warm and safe and Tony wanted to follow it. The voice led him back to awareness and slowly the panic regressed so that the genius could finally breathe again.

When his big eyes, filled with tears, finally focused on the room Tony saw Brock and let the instinct overtake logic. In a moment he had the other guide in a tight embrace that took his breath away.

After only a moment of shock, Brock answered with equal force and Tony felt the fear melting away. It was so good to be able to express his gratitude like that. It was good to be himself again. For years Tony had to keep himself in check. The rumors about his promiscuity and his designation kept him away from the other Avengers. It was easier to care for them from afar, never showing his needs but always taking care of theirs. He had thought he was doing good, but of course he was wrong. They all turned their backs on him when he had needed them the most. And all that he had asked was for them to at least listen to him. Too much. That had always been his biggest fault; Tony demanded too much from others, even though he only wanted his friends to listen to what he had to say.

Now Tony could touch and hug, and Brock was so warm, almost too warm. He was solid and firm, a man used to fighting but only to protect, not to hurt and force his way over others. And what was best on him, was that Brock smelled of life, and sex.

It had been so long since he allowed himself to be that close to someone who lived his life to protect his sentinel, someone whose bond was so strong and deep that Tony could feel it beating with Brock's heart.

That was probably what broke Tony Stark. All the walls he built around his heart after Siberia shuttered because Brock held him in a strong hug and didn't let him go like everyone else did.

***

Tears soaked Brock's chest and broke the other guide even more. Tony cried silently, like a man used to hiding his feelings. How many times did he cry himself to sleep? How many times tears were his only friends in a world that loved to hurt and destroy him?

His whole body shook and Broke knew it had to hurt him. His ribs and sternum were still healing and Brock knew he was on strong painkillers even if Tony tried to skip them as often as possible.

To hug someone wasn't new for Brock. His nature made him a very tactile person, but with Tony it was different. Something that was taken from him too early was given back to the other guide in the form of a connection with someone as strong and in the same time fragile as Tony.

The commander never knew how it happen, but suddenly Tony began to talk and things got worse. He never expected that kind of confession from Tony Stark.

“I trusted him. I thought he was my friend and I trusted him.” A new wave of tears soaked Brock's chest and the tremor became stronger– almost like it was originated from deep inside Tony's soul.

“I thought he cared. Not like he cared for the others, for Natasha, but I thought he cared enough to be honest with me. I was his friend, Brock, and I trusted him.”

And Brock knew how hard it was for Tony to trust someone, how scared the genius was of letting someone too close. He had given Rogers everything, and the bastard cared so little he broke the last trace of hope that was left in Tony's heart.

“Why did he do that? Why couldn't he be honest with me?”

That was a damn good question. Something Brock had wondered about for a long time, and the only answer he could give left acid on his tongue.

“Because he didn't know how, Tony. I'm sure he did trust you on some levels, but he was around people who always underestimated guides.” 

Fury– could the bastard die a thousand of deaths – was the one who really ruined Rogers before someone took him from his hands. 

“Some sentinels still believe that guides don't know how to handle emotions. To them we simply are overpowered by emotions. In many ways I believe he was honest when he said he was protecting you, Tony, but from the wrong thing.” 

Brock really hated to defend the Captain's actions, but unlike Tony he spent enough time between stubborn sentinels to know what the man thought. It was a common mistake to think that emotions were endured by guides, and not taken inside and elaborated.  
A lot of that misconception was due to the very private nature of guides. They simply didn't go around to share with others what was intimate and meant to share only with their own sentinel.

Tony swallowed loudly while sobs threatened to choke him. 

“Listen to me Tony.” 

Brock's voice couldn't be denied and Tony looked into his eyes for the first time. There wasn't pity there, only compassion and understanding.

“You gave him everything you could. But it's not your fault if Rogers doesn't understand your nature. That's the difference between you and him. You always tried to help knowing what you were doing– most of the time – he was led to believe that your nature made you more exposed to sorrow and harm. He tried to protect you from yourself without seeing that keeping the truth from you could hurt you more than anything else. The truth is, Tony, that it doesn't really matter why, but he hurt you like no sentinel should, and he did it to the one guide who was ready to give him what he didn't deserve.”

The last remaining of the nightmare were forgotten. Brock's words woken Tony from his state and the guide could only stare at him like they met for the first time.

“What are you talking about?”

Was it possible that Brock understood everything already? Tony didn't want to believe that his best kept secret could be read so easily by another.

“Don't bullshit me, Stark.” 

Tony slightly shrank, ready to protect himself from an attack. But Brock didn't look interested in physically harming him.

“We both know you would have sacrificed yourself and your future to make sure that Rogers could keep going on with his pathetic life. You were ready to force yourself to accept his claiming even if it was clear that he wasn't the one for you.”

Brock's words made Tony mute. There was no way he could deny the truth in them and he didn't want to lie to the other guide. All he could do was to look at his hands, fisted around the soft fabric of his pants, and realize that Brock was still holding him.

“What's worse is that Rogers wants you.” 

It was time for the truth and Brock hated to be the one to open Tony's eyes. 

“Not that he ever said anything aloud, but it was clear– for guides at least– that he wanted you. The way he behaved every time someone spoke your name, was a sign that too many ignored. He was split between what he wanted and what others wanted from him.” 

And there he was again, defending Rogers' behavior when all he wanted was to punch his face, hard. 

“He was Captain America, and you were the only one who saw the difference between the icon and who he was behind the mask. You called his bullshit and you went head to head with him, doing exactly what no one else had the guts to do. You knew that Rogers was fallible like everyone else, and that the Captain was a National Treasure born in a time long gone. For that reason, I suppose, Rogers fell for you. You knew him like no one else, and you weren't ready to bow your head only because he's a War hero.”

Deep down Tony knew that Brock was right. Tony had eyes, for God's sake, and Roger's wasn't too hard to the eyes. A long time ago the genius had thought that maybe their friendship was strong enough to survive a story. Both of them knew that they weren't meant to be, and Tony wasn't a saint. But in the end he never acted on his attraction. It would be honorable to claim that he never pursued the blond because he really cared for Rogers and didn't want to hurt the man, but that was only partially true. Tony had known men lusting after him, his name and his money all his life long. What he saw in Roger's eyes wasn't too different. He knew the sentinel wanted him but that went against everything he believed in. So Tony stayed away to protect himself. It looked like his plan backfired, again.

“I should have done something. Maybe if I did things differently...”

“Tony, stop! You were simply yourself. You chose not to hide behind masks like Romanoff, or to follow him blindly like Wilson. You criticized his actions when he made mistakes and chose not to keep your mouth shut only because he was Captain America. You knew that Steve Rogers could make mistakes, and in the end he did. And when you saw that he wasn't going to listen, you left, because it was the only thing you could do.”

Tony knew well to what Brock was referring. He had tried, so hard, to make Steve reconsider his decision to include Wanda into the Avengers. She was traumatized and a loose cannon. But above all she was someone who chose Hydra, willingly. How could Steve trust her? Yes, she had lost her family and her brother, she was alone in the world, but she was also dangerous and in serious need of professional help – something that the former Avengers never gave her.

“Maybe that was my mistake. Maybe I should have stayed and tried harder to make him see why I begged him to think about what he was doing.”

Brock could feel rage boiling in his veins. How could it be possible that no one ever saw how hard Tony always tried to make thing better for others? How hard he tried to keep the Avengers together, even when all they did for him was to use him as justification for their actions? 

“No. Stop giving him an excuse, Tony. Rogers chose to ignore your concern. You were supposed to co-lead the Avengers and suddenly you found yourself alone. Rogers chose to surround himself with sentinels because they're easier to deal with. They are naturally predisposed to follow a strong leader, and Rogers is– or at least he's a charismatic one. Look at what happened when SHIELD fell. He could have called you, but decided not to, even if you were the only one who could have stopped those Helicarriers.”

Tony knew well that was the truth. Fury stole his technology but of course he would have known how to hack them even without the keys that almost cost Rogers and Romanoff their lives. How many had died that day because Rogers made the choice not to call him? When emotions became too much to speak Tony only nodded. No one ever understood him like Brock.

“Steve Rogers threw away something beautiful he could have had, Tony. It was his choice. Maybe he did it because he was scared, maybe because he's worse than you are dealing with emotions and needs, but no one forced him to. He's to blame for all the misery he brought on himself. He's the only responsible for his decision to lie and become a hypocrite, and if you dare to say a word to try to justify him, I'll personally go to Wakanda and kick his sorry ass until he'll beg me to stop.”

Tony tried to open his mouth, to come out with something to justify Steve’s actions. Logically he knew there was nothing he could say to rationalize what happened, but he was so used to protecting the former Avengers that it was like a second nature for him. However, Brock’s evil eye told him to shut up, and for once in his life, Tony clicked his mouth shut and waited. 

“Not a word, Tony. But yes, the core of all this mess is that he wanted you, but you weren't important enough for him to be at least honest about your parents and his own feelings.”

Tony was too exhausted to think about what Brock said and all the consequences of those words and honestly a part of him didn't care if Brock's opinion on Steve was even lower than his own.

Tears were still flowing on his face and his head hurt so much it almost gave him another good reason to cry. His chest burned and every single bone in his body ached like never before. He was a mess. Emotionally and physically drained didn't even begin to explain how Tony felt right now.

The heaviness on his eyes was impossible to fight, and Tony tried, so hard. To sleep now sounded like a terrible idea, and still Brock was with him and he was warm and promised safety and companionship that Tony didn't believe he deserved anymore.

Soon enough all those things together put him down again and he never realized that both Erik and Jack were with them in the room, but kept their distance. They did what a sentinel was supposed to do, watched over the two guides in their care and made sure they were safe.

Only when Tony was fast asleep in Brock's arms, using his chest as a pillow, did they approach the couch. Before that night they thought that the monstrosity was too big and useless, now that four grown up men could easily curl up together on it and two sentinels could hold the guides in the middle, they realized that maybe the couch was exactly what they had needed since the beginning. And if JARVIS sent a picture of the four men asleep to Charles Xavier, the professor would never break the confidentiality between himself and the AI.

***

In Tony's humble opinion, the bigger problem with the press was that once it found a bone it was impossible to take it away.  
That was exactly what happened after he let everyone know his decision regarding the Avengers. People from all over the Country expressed their opinion– and that was only about local press. The international one was even a harder judge of both fronts of his once team.

People were always allowed an opinion with Tony, and the genius knew that the Civil War left many unable to have their voice heard. He knew that many took Steve's side against the Government and people who wanted to use their power to enslave enhanced people. What he didn't expect was the number of people taking his side.

Right now JARVIS had the news on a Washington DC channel, and he really felt bad for Wilson. The anchorman– a tall brunet that was exactly his type– had guests in the study. All of them veterans and with a counselor in common. After the first few questions used to break the ice, the young shark in a man's suit flashed out the artillery.

“What do you think about The Falcon's decision and behavior?” 

Yes, that was a good question, and one that Tony wondered often. He was almost sure that the three people there, two men and one woman, would try to defend their friend, because that's what friends do, right?

It was the woman who was first to answer. She was shaking slightly– only a well trained eye would pick it up– and her cold gaze contained all the rage she felt.

“He's a coward and a traitor. It's not a surprise that he blindly followed Captain Rogers. Hypocrites recognize each others.”

Tony remained frozen at his desk while the two men in the study only nodded in agreement with her words. That the genius didn't see coming.

“Could you explain, Ma'am?” 

At least the journalist knew how to speak to a woman who served the country. Tony made a mental note to learn more about him and see if he could be used in the little side project he had in mind. The Councils were known to the most as this ethereal and distant institution and it was time for them to find a good PR team.

“Samuel Wilson always told us not to run from our problems and not to do something without thinking. I was a soldier for the majority of my life and I know that not always your superiors know what's going on on the battlefield. But when the civilians you swore to protect are terrified of you, you did something wrong. Not to face your mistakes but turning your back on your country is what cowards do. Samuel Wilson is a coward and I am ashamed he ever wore the same uniform I love and respect.”

The younger man spoke after her, and his words were even more painful. 

“I'm not sure he ever read the Accords. They are wrong in many ways but there is something good in those pages. If you allow a group of people well trained and even better equipped, to be the judges of their own actions, what will keep them from becoming tyrants? Nothing, and that's exactly what Rogers, Wilson and their side don't see.”

“Not to say that they are delusional if they think their actions aren't the same as terrorists. They don't want to be told where to go, because they know better and want to go where they think they're needed but not even once did Rogers stop to think that that's exactly what HYDRA did. People believed in the ideology and followed the cult. Wilson followed the cult based on the persona of Captain America. I don't see any difference.”

The anchorman had his job cut short for him. It looked like his guests knew exactly what they wanted to say and they knew how to deliver the message.

“What I find really hard to believe is that in the end it was Tony Stark, one of the non military of the whole team, who found the perfect solution. I know he's a genius, but he simply lacks the mentality of a soldier. And yet, he was the only one who did what really should have been the first option if Rogers and his friends don't believe in the government anymore.”

The laugh that erupted from Tony was echoed by Erik's. He didn't even realize the Alpha sentinel joined him, but his presence was comfortable.

“They are right. You totally lack of the discipline of a soldier. What's sad is that Rogers is the same, he was just better than you at hiding his faults.”

Tony wasn't really sure if Erik just insulted or complimented him, so he opted for a curt nod just to stay safe. On TV the debate kept going on, but Tony wasn't paying attention anymore. He felt for the other guide. The Veterans had been his family for so long that Tony didn't want to think how hurt Falcon would be as soon as the news reached him. And they would, because Wakanda wasn't the most technologically advanced country without a good reason; it was a reputation earned with hard work and sublime minds. Wilson would hear from his old friends sooner than he would like.

“JARVIS please, give me some more news.”

The AI gained a sense of humor that always bordered on sassy lately and for that he gave Tony Fox News. People there were trying, and failing, to make Captain America appear like the real hero. He was in exile because he dared to protect the American supremacy over the international matters, or something.

But when an old footage of what happened in Lagos was shown they couldn’t find words to keep defending their lie. Tony was glad that Jack and Brock were in the gym to train right now, because even if it only was a LMD, Crossbones had Brock's voice and his body language. It was hard enough on Tony alone and he didn't want to find out what reaction the couple could have.

A warm hand grasped one of his shoulder and squeezed. God, Tony was glad Erik was there.

Wanda was – in the public opinion – the most hated. The unbalanced Sentinel, the Witch – or the press’ new favorite the Scarlet Bitch – people wanted her to pay for her mistakes and everything she did. Tony knew he should try to find a way to defend her, he really had tried with his interview, but he knew his message didn't go through.

He failed and Tony was ready to admit that he did because he was scared of her. He didn't like her and somehow his feelings showed in his actions. Now, after months, he could admit that to explain the others why he did what he did would have been the most logical thing to do, but he didn't, because deep down he didn't want her to stay at the compound. He knew she was a danger not only for his mind, but for the Avengers in their integrity.

“Stop that. You'll give Charles a headache from here and I hate when someone hurts my guide.”

Tony jumped out of his skin and Erik only chuckled at his reaction. 

“If you're not a mind reader, how do you know what I was thinking about?”

“Because I met people I hated but I was forced to help them. Maybe one day I will tell you about Moira and her love for my husband. Or about the CIA agents I had to work with before everything went to hell. I know you hate Wanda and I don't blame you, but it wasn't because of your feelings that you failed her.”

“Then why did I fail?” His voice trembled while asking the one question that kept him up at night.

“Because she never meant to work with you. Her only goal was and always will be your destruction. People like her don't change. When a hate so deep is born there is nothing that can destroy it.”

Erik was solemn now. Every inch of the Alpha he was born to be. The authority of his title was a living armor wrapped around him, it was impossible to miss it.

“How do you know?”

“Because I will never stop to hate the people who took everything from me, Tony.”

For the first time Tony feared Erik. He knew what the other man meant with his words; what he didn't know was if he was ready to deal with the fallout.

***

It was an impressive picture that Tony, Erik, Jack and Brock made when they marched along the White House corridors, looking for Thunderbolt Ross. Tony knew where his office was, and wasn’t shy about using his influence and his role as spokesperson of the Accords to reach him without an appointment. 

No one was surprised when they found him with Senator Kelly and his entourage. The man almost fainted, pale and covering behind his bodyguards as soon as his light eyes landed on Erik. 

There was history between them and everyone knew it. Kelly was the one who tried the hardest to hurt Charles and his students, and Erik wasn’t happy about that. But today they didn’t want to start a war, on the contrary it was finally time to fix past mistakes and prepare for what would come, all too soon. 

Tony knew that logically it would have been better to try to soothe things between the senator and the alpha sentinel, but he got distracted. In his humble opinion only a bunch of things were worth countless sleepless nights, pain and eyes as red as the lava from hell, but to see Ross' face only a few hours after his interview was worth everything for Tony. He hoped that JARVIS was taking pictures because the bastard deserved every pulsing vein he was sporting right now.

To say that he and his good friend were livid was understating the truth. The people in the room were all a small, little step away from a heart attack or a stroke and Tony wasn't sorry for them. 

For all the talk about them being war heroes and strategic geniuses, no one had seen his move coming. Tony began to realize that the whole Country believed too much in bedtime stories about the courage of people in uniform. Too many of them never saw a battlefield, and when they did, they couldn’t be bothered to follow orders. 

A sour smile curved a corner of his mouth. Rogers and Thunderbolt had more in common than what both of them would like to believe, starting with Tony Stark as an enemy. 

Tony looked at Ross for a long time, his calculating eyes scanning the older man’s soul, and what he found satisfied him. Behind the mask of the consumed politician, Ross hid an ill bottled rage that shook his whole body. Such rage could only mean that he was scared, he knew things were quickly leaving his control, and there was nothing he could do now. 

Everyone knew that Ross hated the Councils like only a man hungry for power and with no way to get it could. Kelly was the same. His family came from England originally, and the Alpha couple for their continent were two of the most powerful mutants ever born. Tony didn’t want to imagine how much that vile man would pay for the possibility to destroy them. But if Tony had to put his money on the person Kelly and Ross both hated the most, it would be on Erik Lehnsherr. He was everything Ross and the senator wanted to be. The uber Alpha who could crash their dreams of a controlled and better world made only for pure humans.

Too bad the bastards never realized that Mutants and enhanced people were humans– and in many ways better ones, but only because they were the next step in evolution– and now the one they loathed was standing in front of them, newly invested with the power of crushing them and their careers under his boots. 

“You.” Ross spat out from behind his teeth. His face was so red that Tony feared he would collapse. It would be a tragedy if Thunderbolt Ross died before to see his dreams of glory turned into ash. 

“How dare you.”

“I did what was better for everyone. Not even Rogers can now claim that the Avengers will be on the leash of corrupted governments.”

Or at least Tony hoped he couldn't. To go against the Councils would be madness and Tony really didn’t have time to waste keeping Rogers from making even more enemies he already did. The man needed to see a specialist and if he was the one to think that it only meant that Steven Grant Rogers was in deep shit.

“You dared to call foreign forces to dictate.” He was so furious that small drops of saliva went flying from his lips. He looked like the rabid dog he really was inside and Tony was disgusted by the thought that a man like Ross was allowed a place in the Army and in the Government of the US.

“Let me stop you here, Ross, before you make a fool of yourself. The Councils have the ultimate power of decisions, but they don't act as a singular organ. They have connections with the United States and every single country in the world, even the ones who didn't sign the accords. They are the most qualified organ to deal with the Avengers and make sure that no one will cross lines.” Tony took a deep breath before he spoke again. 

“That said, you should be the first one to be glad about what I did. Now no one can deny the validity of the accords.”

No one in the room needed to read Ross' mind to reach the same conclusion.

“Of course, you should be glad if you didn't have any aim about controlling the Avengers personally and using them as a private Army. If that was your endgame then yes, I broke your little toy and I'm not sorry.”

Now Ross could only deny what Tony was implying, or face justice for his crimes. Tony had no doubt about the choice the general would make in this situation.

“All I wanted was to keep the real citizens safe from monsters like Wanda Maximoff. You can't deny that the Witch is dangerous, Stark. You better than anyone else know what she can do.”

“And you better than anyone else should know that Charles Xavier and his husband are the ultimate authority when we talk about mutants and inhumans. You only want to use them for your experiments, Ross. It's only a matter of time now. I will get the evidence that you created the Abomination. You will lose everything.”

No one looked shocked by what Tony just implied, and Tony himself wasn’t surprised that Kelly was in with the experiments on mutants in order to recreate the superserum, or something strong enough to be used against the others. 

“I am the only one who can stop them.”

“No Ross. All you can do is to hope to be able to kill them when you don't need them anymore, but many of them are so powerful that you couldn't even get to them. How do you plan to control people who have the power to manipulate reality and time? You are so scared of them. Hate them so much because of how weak they make you feel, that you only want to destroy them.”

With the truth finally out of his mind, Tony let go of the last burden that weighed on his shoulders. That was what he had wanted for himself and the Avengers, to face Ross together and to see him fall, crushed by his own anger for power.

If Rogers had spared a moment of his precious time to listen and let him explain what the endgame was, probably much of the mess that culminated with the split of the team and the destruction of what should have been a family could be stopped before it happened.

Now it was too late to cry on the past. Rogers and Romanoff had shown their true colours. Steve had had an agenda of his own after he filled his mouth with disdain for the government doing exactly the same thing. Barton had jumped because the good Captain said so, and didn't even ask how high and Wilson had followed blindly because Rogers could do no wrong. They all had made their bed and now had to lay in it even if Tony was sure somehow they already found a way to blame him for that.

The past was closed, the present and future were the only things that mattered and Tony didn't want to waste any more time regretting something that died a long time ago if he wanted to be honest. Before Sokovia and Ultron, before Washington, the experiment called Avengers was already dead. They were never a real team.

What he was building now, with a lot of attention, would be something different, based on more solid foundations than before. Trust was a requisite Tony wouldn't overlook this time. Skills weren't a problem before, but now Tony knew that the balance between dynamics should be highly considered. No more one guide trying to keep sane some of the most broken and damaged sentinels around. That was Fury's mistake, one that Tony wouldn't make.

Everything was already in motion, soon the new team, born from the ashes of a destroyed family, would be born and ready to shine. This time Tony didn't care about the dissatisfaction he would meet. The Avengers were born to protect Earth and it was time they lived to see their goal completed.

Leaving Ross' office was like walking away from a room filled with miasma to breath fresh air after too long. Tony Stark was a new man and a new guide and the world should pity whoever dared to cross him now.

***

It was unreal. The silence in the media room of the royal palace in Wakanda was full of different meanings, but it was clear than no one of the guests remained unaffected by Tony's words. T'Challa felt for the men and women in his care, he had a debt of honor to pay with Sergeant Barnes and after what Rogers did to protect his older friend, he knew that to take them all inside his country had been the only logical thing to do.

But even in his logic he still regretted many things. He knew that like everyone else he was between the devil and the deep sea, but what happened after Siberia was entirely on him. He had many things to answer to Tony Stark, but his own guilt had to wait. Right now he had many other things on his plate and the first was to contain the reactions of the former Avengers.

Wilson had the good grace to look ashamed. As the only other guide he probably felt the bluntness of Tony's words deeper than the others. Barton was doing his best to keep the rage inside, but it was clear he was close to his breaking point, and no one looked interested in stopping him. He was as pale as a ghost but his eyes shone with fury. All in all he looked like a feverish and possessed man.

What worried T'Challa the most was Wanda's reaction. Her whole frame was surrounded by red fog. White teeth unsheathed in an animalistic growl, she was more beast than a woman and finally the former Avengers could see in her what Tony Stark saw since the beginning. She was a weapon and was left free to bring destruction and pain to others for too long. How the people in the room could ignore that was beyond T'Challa.

His attention was drawn to the last two people in the room. The Black Widow had her head held high, like Tony's words didn't affect her, but her eyes were wet and she was gently shivering. However she was performing like she was taught.

Last, but not least, Steve Rogers. The former Captain looked crushed and ready to crumble to the ground. Gone was the arrogant man who thought he knew better than anyone else. Gone was the monster who didn't spare a moment to think about the pain he caused a man he called friend and that left him behind in a bunker, to die alone after he took everything from Tony Stark. In his place was a young man who never had time to learn from life and from his mistakes, someone who didn't know how to live in a world that wasn't his and who was lost and alone without a purpose in life. He was openly crying now and T'Challa knew, deep down that only two people in the whole world could put him back together.

One was lost to him, asleep in a cryo chamber in the labs there in Wakanda, and one was miles away and was also the one who caused Steve Rogers to finally open his eyes and face the reality of what he had done.

“How dare he? After what he did to us, after we ended up being wanted criminals because of him, how dare he blame us?” Clint's words broke the silence. They were full of rage and pure hate. Whatever happened to him in the RAFT it was clear that his vision of Tony Stark radically changed. Or maybe Clint was a great actor and he always disliked the genius for this or that reason and now he finally had the occasion to show how much.

Everyone in the room knew that after the Ultron's debacle something broke between the Avengers and perhaps what was happening right now was just a direct consequence of that tragedy. A tragedy that could have been avoided if only they had stopped Stark in time.

“He created Ultron. He created the monster who killed my brother. He took my family from me and now he wants to take the only place I called home too. I want him dead. He deserves to die for everything he did to innocent people.” Wanda's hate flew as strong as her magic and finally everyone could see who she really was.

For two years she was allowed to live under Tony's roof, using his money, eating his food, and no one ever questioned Steve's choice. Everyone knew how much she hated Stark, and still they allowed her to terrify and bully her way into his team and into what was once his family, because deep down every single one of them blamed Tony for what happened. It didn't matter if Thor came back from Asgard to clear his name. It didn't matter if Tony was the only one who was left behind to clean that mess. Deep down they thought he deserved the witch hunt that the international press unleashed on him. Now they could see that the girl they protected, was also a threat and too powerful for her own good.

“I suggest you all to think carefully before you open your mouths. There are things that can't be forgiven and for that they are better left unsaid.” Said someone behind T'Challa. Suddenly the attention of the whole room shifted from the screen that showed Erik Lehnsherr to the new arrival.

The man had bright and huge blue eyes that became impossibly tender and full of love as soon as they landed on the German's face. He had his hair long, in a fashion that was old, but perfect for him. The wheelchair didn't take away a single ounce of the power he emanated. Everyone recognized the Alpha Guide Charles Xavier, and he wasn't happy.

The usually quiet and balanced man was looking at them all like they were nothing more than dirt on the wheels of his chair. Wilson put himself between Charles and his sentinel, praying to God that she was smart enough not to open her mouth now.

“Answer a question, Miss Maximoff. Was Ultron really a creation of Tony Stark? Weren't you, in any way, guilty of forcing him to build that monster? I think the lies around his creation lasted too long; it's time for the truth, and you will tell it, one way or another.”

The menace in his voice froze everyone in the room. Charles knew something that they all didn’t, but Steve was so sure he knew Wanda, he was so sure that the young woman wouldn't break his trust that he spoke directly to her, ignoring one of the most powerful men in the world.

“Wanda? What is he talking about?” He asked with a forced smile on his lips.   
“Please, you can tell us, nothing is going to change what we know about you.” 

No, nothing, because she wasn't Tony. To think the worst about him was so simple, because if Tony was wrong, they were justified in their behavior towards him. But if Tony was right, what then? Would they all be bullies that abused a man who was innocent? That couldn't be.

“Steve, you know Wanda. She had lost everything because of Stark. Of course she didn't.” Clint said, sure that she didn’t lie to them. She wasn’t a Stark. 

Charles had enough. He knew that he would meet stubbornness, but not pure stupidity and blindness.

“Miss Maximoff, aren't you able to speak for yourself? How could you be allowed to join the Avengers if you can't even express your mind?”

Years spent dealing with students, Alphas of both dynamics, politicians and above all Erik, taught him that sometimes you need to use harshness if you want to reach your goal. This time the goal was a truth that had been hidden for too long. A truth that no one in the room would like to hear, but it was damn time that someone put a stop to the amount of idiocy going on between the Avengers.

“Answer my question, young woman.” Charles demanded with a voice that didn’t allow any more lies. He was tired. The trip to Wakanda had been long, and he missed his husband like he would miss air to live. His back decided to act up and his mind was attacked by so many emotions all at once that a splitting headache was ready to explode. Above all he didn't have time to waste with stupid tricks. If the former Avengers wanted to have even a chance to work with the Councils and not be thrown in a cell to rot, it was time for them to come clean about a lot of things, starting with Ultron.

“Did you, in any way, influence Tony Stark before he built the AI known as Ultron?” If they wanted to see him as the enemy, Charles was ready to act as one. It looked like Rogers couldn't go on without a fight in his life and this time he met someone who wouldn't bow his head because he fought in WWII.

The silence alone was defeating. Wanda was still burning with hate, but her eyes were downcast and she looked unsure of her next course of action. Somehow she knew that using her power against Charles would be suicide, but that didn't mean the thought didn't cross her mind. She was Sokovian and Charles held the ultimate power over her, more than over the others.

“I...” 

She didn't want to go on. She didn't want to reveal her secret. The silence in the room became oppressive and she could feel the tension in the others. Their emotions shifted from curiosity to apprehension and fear. Steve and Clint were the only exception. They still believed she did nothing to Stark.

“I showed him the end of the world. The death of the Avengers at the hands of the Chitauri, the invasion that will come. Steve told him it was his fault because he didn't do enough. But I only called his fears to surface. I didn't show him nothing that it wasn't already there, in his mind. It's not my fault if Stark is fucked up in his mind.”

Now the silence was icy and no one had the courage to say anything. No one was looking the others in the eyes, they were too focused on their own feelings. Maybe now they would understand that they always were. They all ignored Tony Stark's feelings and emotions because they were too focused on their own pain and loss and didn't have time to care for someone who, in their eyes, had everything and didn't have to fight a single day to survive. Too bad none of them really knew Tony and his life.

“So, you blame a man you victimized and raped mentally, because under the effect of something traumatic you showed him, he built Ultron. You blame him because of his state of mind, and yet you took advantage of his condition just to make him pay for something he didn't even do?”

Charles was disgusted. He could see that Rogers' heart was in the right place. That was why he took his defense against Erik's more extreme view but now, in front of the blatant disdain Wanda showed for Tony's well being, he wondered if maybe Erik wasn't right and the bunch of people in the room were a lost cause. That thought was discarded immediately, but the doubt about how much those people really knew about real life remained.

“He's not innocent. He killed my parents. Because of him my brother died.”

“Did he pulled the trigger? Did he personally dropped the bomb on your house?” 

Charles' words hit every single one of the former Avengers. Why had they never questioned Wanda's hate for Tony? Why had they never realized that the young woman needed help? Now, expressed aloud by someone on the outside, all that hate and resentment sounded illogical and even stupid. It was like blaming whoever build the car after a car accident.

Charles sounded tired but he was glad he pointed out what he wanted to show them all. 

“Tony Stark is guilty of many things, Miss Maximoff, but he's not a murderer. Your parents death was tragic and untimely, but it's not Tony's fault. He was the one who discovered his weapons were sold under the counter and did everything in his power to find every piece that was stolen from him. Terrorists used those weapons, not Stark Industries or the American Government. Tony Stark is not responsible for your loss, Miss Maximoff, you’ve hated the wrong man for too long now.”

Charles turned his chair, ready to leave the room. Honestly he had had enough of them for the evening. His bright eyes lingered on T'Challa for long moments before he nodded his head. The young king had a long way in front of him and he was already faced with the heavy burden of a mistake made because of honor. Charles could only hope that the long talk awaiting them in the near future would be smoother than his first meeting with the former Avengers, for both their sakes.

“I believe you all need time to think about what just happened, and what you're ready to do to change a future that is not written yet.”

The former Avengers were left with a nauseating sense of shame and self loathing when Charles left the room. The man didn't even need to raise his voice to show them something they would have preferred not to know. Now they had to pick up the pieces of what they were and see if they could be fixed enough to give them all the possibility to build a new future.

***

Jack and Brock were watching TV when something happened that put JARVIS on edge. Yes, they realized that the AI wasn't at all what Rogers told them. He was a learning being and able to feel and show emotions.

“Sirs, I need your help.” Tony was locked in his lab after the past days of intense work on the field. He needed time in his safe heaven and Erik had been clear that if anyone dared to disturb Tony, they would have to face the alpha sentinel's wrath.

“What's wrong, JARVIS?” Both were ready for action.

“There is someone at the door, looking for Mr. Stark. He shouldn't be here.”

“You mean like an enemy shouldn't be here?”

“No, he means like a dead man who shouldn’t be here.” 

Tony said coming out from his private elevator shaking. Hair disheveled because of the countless time he slipped his fingers there, stains of motor oil everywhere, from his ruined shirt to his face and hands, but it was because of his eyes that Jack and Brock took their place in front of him, shielding him from whatever was happening. Erik entered the room a moment before Tony gave orders to JARVIS to start the elevator.

“What's going on?” Erik's power twisted the doors of said elevator, pinning the man that was standing there trying to be as unthreatening as possible.

Jack and Brock sucked in air like it was impossible for them to breath it and Tony was frozen in place. Erik was the only one at loss. He didn't know the man, but the metal in the room began to sing for its master, just in case.

“JARVIS? Are the scans done?”

“Yes Sir, the man is who you think he is.”

“So, no clone, not LMD, not even an evil twin?” Tony looked almost disappointed, like a child who just found out that Santa doesn't exist.

“No, Mr Stark, just old little me. The rumors of my death were greatly exaggerated.”

Tony's expression was unreadable and everyone in the room could feel the raising tension. Jack and Brock knew the man in front of them, but never worked too closely with him. Tony's reaction worried them. Lately the gaze in his eyes, closed up and cold, was reserved only to Rogers and his team. When the genius spoke, it was like a spell was broken.

“Why are you here Agent? The truth, if you don't mind. I'm tired of being lied to by people close to me.”

This was the businessman, the Merchant of Dead, not the Tony Stark that Phil had learned to know and respect. He knew that his past mistakes were finally back to present the bill. Tony wasn't a man ready to forgive and forget anymore, and everyone knew of his little case of hero worship when Captain America was present.

Phil had only one chance, and for once no plans. All he could do was to be honest and hope for the best.

“I'm here because I disagree with the Accords, but even more I disagree with how this mess was handled. I worked in the field for too long not to know that the Accords were a long process and an unstoppable one. The Avengers were only a tool to test how much the government and the UN could push you all. Rogers and his followers failed the test and I know this shit could have been stopped if someone had taught Rogers about the new games and changes that went around since he was lost to us. We created the mistake that Rogers represents now, and I'm here because I want to fix my mistakes, for once.”

Tony studied the man in front of him like it was the first time he ever met the former agent and former Director. If people thought he didn't know he was alive or believed he stopped to keep an eye on Fury and his people only because the lies about his death, they were even stupider than Tony thought.

But in his careful examination, the genius couldn't find any trace of lies. He knew Phil Coulson was too honorable to bend in front of the accords, but he also knew that those documents were needed to keep the people safe. Maybe this man was ready to compromise.

“It's good to see you, Agent.” The voice used wasn't light like it would have been before the war but at least it lacked the coldness that the genius showed a few moments before. It was a start.

“It's good to see you too, Tony. And for what is worth, I'm sorry about all of this.” He sounded sincere enough and Tony just nodded.

“Welcome home.” He chuckled, showing Phil around what had been the common area for the Avengers before the compound. And yes, that was home now, and Tony would protect the place and the family he was forming. If Phil would be a part of it, that was still a mystery. “Am I right in guessing that you don't want anyone to know you're here?”

“That would be appreciated. There are many things we need to talk about, and I would like to have enough time to explain everything, before all the shit hits the fan.”


End file.
